The Risky Kind of Love
by SapphirexLovely
Summary: Isabella Swan: The quiet, to-the-point, good girl. Follows the rules and wins her own battles. Enter Mr. Cullen: Mysterious, sexy, and completely unobtainable to anyone in her age group. Can love bloom between the two? Are they willing to take the risk?
1. Chapter 1

"Oh my god, have you seen him?"

This was getting ridiculous.

"Yes! I had science third period!"

This was the _library _for crying out loud.

"Gorgeous, right?"

My eyes narrowed angrily.

"Totally!"

"_Shh_!"

I smiled, placing the book I had been looking at back in its position on the shelf. Thank God for the librarian, because I knew, no matter how mad I would have gotten, I never would have gained the confidence to tell them to shut up myself.

Isabella Swan. The silent, the thoughtful, the daydreamer. There were many names that people used to describe the way I was always quiet, but there were my own reasons.

I choose to be. I sort of believed that I didn't have to speak unless spoken to, and unless it was completely necessary.

And I am, actually, quite shy at times. I had my moments every once in a while, but now was not the time.

Everyone knew about it, even teachers were aware of my choice. But that was okay, it made my life just that much easier. I had friends, of course, who I talked to. I'm just not as animated as they are. Because me, I see the world differently than others. I'm the kind of person who stops to appreciate the beauty that even the smallest things can hold. I notice changes. And I always think before I actually say something, and I listen before doing so.

I was different, much more different than anyone else in Forks High, but I was okay with it. It was my decision, after all.

I pulled out another book from the shelf, one of my favorites, _Pride and Prejudice_, and made my way back to the checkout desk. The librarian gave me a friendly smile, because she was used to me, and quickly scanned my book.

"Another Jane Austen?" she asked, amused.

I nodded, accepting the book back. After waving her goodbye, I walked back to the school cafeteria. I wasn't, exactly, excited for it. Today, after first period, I had started hearing about him. And after that, people kept bringing him up. It was rumor after rumor, story after story, gossip after gossip…and all about the same person! The same class! I had been mentally banging my head against the desk every period. And when English was over, after a particularly long description of Mr. Hot, I had sought refuge inside the library. But, sadly, I had met the same fate.

And now it was sure to come up at my table, and I was _not _looking forward to it.

It was a silent, peaceful walk back to the cafeteria, and I reveled in it. The day had not been good, thanks to the level of chitchat suddenly firing up, and I wanted to take the time I had now to enjoy it. I paused in my walk, staring up at the cloudy sky. Any true Washingtonian was used to the rain and clouds, but I had just moved here my junior year. Two years was not enough to get used to the bipolar weather of this place, but I just had to endure it. For my mother and for Phil. They needed their time together.

Stopping just outside the door of the lunchroom, I took a deep breath. I could already hear the noise of voices pouring in from inside, it was kind of intimidating. How loud a group of people could be. So I hesitated, preparing myself for an onslaught.

And it was a good thing I did.

A burst of sound suddenly enveloped me as I opened the door and walked in. People were chattering, shouting, laughing. I cringed when someone ran passed me, yelling, and almost got close enough to knock me over as he went. A small huff of annoyance escaped me as I maneuvered quickly out of the way. Some people here just…!

Trying to shake it off, I stepped into line. It wasn't long, considering I spent half the lunch period in the library, so I had my food in hand quickly. I balanced my tray in one hand and carried the book with the other. There were better ways of carrying things, but I was in a hurry to sit, eat, and get everything over with.

"Bella! You're here!"

I winced at the voice, looking to my table to see Jessica Stanley waving her arms at me excitedly. Of course, I'd probably have to face her first. She was always the gossip guru, knowing everything about anyone. Granted, she was a good friend. Bubbly, and someone you could hang out with if you need some happy time. But, her two-face attitude was well known. She was pretty and popular, so people chose to befriend her, but refrain from saying anything overly secretive.

"Hey, Jessica," I said in my usual reserved tone. No one takes it to offense anymore, it was just me.

"It's great that you finally got here!" she smiled and patted the chair beside her, and I sat down grudgingly, putting down my tray and sliding my book-bag from my shoulders. "I was just telling Angela about the substitute in Chemistry!"

I suppressed a groan, and looked around the table to see I didn't share the same reaction as anyone else. Angela was a bit reluctant, but her face showed curiosity. Lauren, though has probably already heard and talked about this story before, and was almost as bad as Jessica, still looked about as excited as her. Alice didn't say anything, which was unusual, she was sometimes perkier than Jessica, though she didn't have the two-face quality to her. I had actually imagined her being at the top of this gossip as well. I looked beside her to her boyfriend Jasper, and he, _thankfully_, was grimacing.

"No one cares, Jessica," he said, running a hand agitatedly through his blonde hair.

"I care," snapped Lauren, already on the defense for her best friend.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Emphasis on the _no one_."

I tuned them out, glad they were distracted, deciding to eat my food and read at the same time.

"Excuse me?"

"I really don't think I have to repeat myself," said Jasper calmly.

"Yeah? Well I think you should-"

"Can't we just get along?" Angela, bless her, spoke up and silenced everyone else. "Jessica was about to tell a story, and it's rude to interrupt." _Dammit. _

"Thank you, Angela, now where was I?"

"The beginning?"

"Oh, right." Jasper groaned as she was about to start. "Shut up, will you?" she barked at him, then started again. "Okay, so here's what happened." I heard her shift in seat, probably sitting closer and propping her elbows on the table, gossip style. "I was walking into Chemistry, totally normal day, right? And I sat in my seat, talking to Lauren. So, it was, like, a total blah conversation, when the bell rang. Of course, Lauren and I didn't pay attention to it, I mean, who does? So we were still talking and stuff, and then…_he _came in!" she paused there, and I imagined her swooning in the chair. I rolled my eyes and turned to the next page.

"And?" Angela urged her to go on.

Jessica shifted again. "In the most…_sexiest _voice you have ever hear he said, 'Class, class. Please quiet down.'!" She sighed dreamily and leaned dramatically against me, making me cut my eyes to her. "It was unbelievable! I almost couldn't breath!"

"Neither could I!" Lauren agreed, her tone the same as Jessica's.

"What happened next?" Angela asked, unfortunately getting into the story.

Jessica sat back up, freeing my shoulder and letting be concentrate back to where I was. But, her chatter was making me frustrated. "So," she said. "I look up, because, well, he spoke, right? And _bam_, I'm falling."

"Into what?"

They really didn't see it coming? I shook my head at what was to come.

"His _eyes_," she exclaimed, making me want to bang my head against this table, too. "It was, like, I turned around, and he was looking right at _me_."

Lauren snorted. "You wish. He was staring at Tanya, 'cause she was the last one in and tripped."

"Yeah? Well she's a slut. She wants him all to herself. But she's not gonna get him."

"Why not? You think _you _will?"

"Of course." As Jessica and Lauren argued about this, my anger and irritation kept growing and growing. To the point where I practically was on edge. It didn't go beyond my notice that the grip on the book I had tightened to some degree, or that my jaw was clenched uncomfortably tight. They were really pushing it.

"Will you both…please…just _be quiet?_" I finally broke, slamming the book shut and glaring at the two of them. Both chatterers, and Angela, were looking at me with surprise, for I never burst out suddenly like that. I was, in fact, even shocked at my own actions. But, I didn't let that make my stare falter. "He's a teacher. No, correction, a _substitute_. Chances are, he isn't coming back after today. What gave you any idea that you could 'hook up' with him? He's young, yes, but does that make him reckless?" I put the book down beside my tray and crossed my arms, my frustration pouring from my words. "He has a job, a _life_, and possibly, a girlfriend if he's even as good-looking as you're portraying him to be. What makes you think he'll give it all up for any of us? _Students_? Really? Has your imagination really pulled you that far?" I pulled my tray up to me, picking up my fork. "Well, I welcome you to reality. It's not going to happen." Finishing my rant, I speared some salad and tossed it into my mouth.

Silence erupted from my table. I would have been thankful for it, except there _was _the rest of the lunchroom talking, oblivious to my blowout. It was kind of awkward, too, because I never really talk during lunch. I mean, I might throw in one small comment if asked, but never anything like I just did.

"_Thank you_."

I looked up, surprised, staring at the two who spoke. Sure, I would have expected something like that from Jasper. But Alice?

I wasn't the only one, either.

"Alice?" questioned the rest of the table after she had said those words to be with such relief. I didn't, I usually asked with my eyes. But, she got the point rather quickly.

"What?" she snapped when all eyes turned to her. "I was getting tired of all of it, too."

"Why?" Lauren asked.

"I know," Jessica said. "Like, I'll understand if Bella doesn't get it. I mean…she's _Bella_." I rolled my eyes, letting the comment slide. "But don't _you _think that the sub is mega, super hot?"

"No," she deadpanned, making the two gasp in disbelief. Those two were unbelievable. Alice flicked one of the pieces of sable hair that wasn't spiked from her eyes and explained herself. "He's my brother."

"What?" Lauren exclaimed, nearly falling from her chair as Jasper shook with silent laughter. "You didn't tell us?"

"I thought you'd…know?"

"How?"

Again, I rolled my eyes at their stupidity. "His name _is _Mr. Cullen." I said, unperturbed by Alice's announcement or their reactions _to_ said announcement. I had guessed in second period, when Victoria had been whispering about it with Jane. Though, from how they described him, Alice and Mr. Cullen didn't sound anything alike. But, my guess was proven correct from how Alice was acting when I had walked into lunch.

Jessica shook her head, gaping. "So…you've had a brother _this hot_…and never invited us over?" she accused.

"Jess, honestly," I couldn't help but feel I was talking a bit too much today as I spoke. But, their idiocy has risen a couple of levels today as well, in my defense. "He probably just got his teaching license from somewhere, so had possibly moved in only a few days ago."

"Exactly," Alice said. "He moved in last week. Jasper was there to help."

Jessica scoffed. "Jasper doesn't count! How could you _not _call and tell us about your hot, smoking, sexy ass of a brother?"

Alice shrugged. "Maybe because I don't see him…like _that_? God! Do you know how tiring it is to walk from class to class hearing about how hot some guy is, when in _your _opinion you don't find him attractive at all?"

"Yes," Jasper and I said together, making us both burst into laughter as Jessica and Lauren pouted.

Angela sighed. "I haven't even seen him yet."

"Neither have I," I pointed out, putting _Pride and Prejudice_ away.

"What?" Jessica frowned at me. "Then how does your opinion matter in _any _of this?"

"Never said it did, you just chose to listen," I answered calmly, standing and picking up my tray and book-bag. "I'm gonna go throw this out. Anyone else wanna come?"

"Yes, please." Alice and Jasper answered, both standing up with theirs.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "The three of us are going to stay here, where everyone is _sane_."

"What the hell is your definition of sane?" Jasper mumbled as we walked away.

Alice rubbed his back in comfort. "It's alright, babe, you won't see me or Bella talking like that."

"Yeah, well that's 'cause Bella is a bit on the strange side." I wacked him in the shoulder for that one, making him laugh. "No, I'm serious, Bells. Do you _ever _find a guy attractive?" As I was about to answer, he cut me off. "And Mr. Darcy doesn't count. He's completely fictional."

Damn. I closed my mouth, turning my head away and tossing my food into the trash with them. Jasper laughed at that, because apparently it was just _so funny _that I thought every other guy at this school was immature, arrogant, or too stupid for me to even regard. It wasn't as if I thought so highly of myself. I mean, I didn't even think of myself as _attractive_. But hey, I had standards like everyone else.

"Speaking of Bella and strange," Alice spoke up. I looked at her, and almost flinched as her critical gaze hit me. "_What _are you wearing?"

I shifted my eyes down to my clothes. Regular dark blue jeans and a black hoodie with the school emblem on the front. It was normal for me. But, of course, not for _Alice_. "There's nothing wrong with what I put on today," I said, though I was ready for one of her fashion lecture barraging.

"What? Have you _looked _in a mirr-" she was cut off, _thankfully_, by the bell that had decided to pierce the cafeteria. Although I was relieved for the escape, I grimaced.

"What?" Jasper asked. "You avoided her talk, didn't you?" For that, he earned a slug in the back from Alice's dainty hands.

"Yes," I sighed, shaking my head, mentally preparing myself for the inevitable. "But…I have science next." I waved them off as they both began to give me words of sympathy, I didn't need to hear it, and turned to head to my next class.

I walked down the hall, carefully avoiding anyone else who was either not paying attention where they were walking, or were just standing there talking to someone else. I took my time, too, but I knew where I was headed was completely unavoidable. I never skipped class.

And neither did anyone else, it seemed, as I opened the door to Chemistry. I was usually one of the first people to get to class, in every class, but not today. Now, actually, it looks as though I was the last one in. I stood at the doorway, stunned at how everyone was actually here before me, and I mean _everyone_. My seat was the only one empty.

And was _Mr. Cullen _really the reason? You've got to be kidding me.

I walked to my seat, near the front of the class, and was irked to see someone already sitting there. Heidi Taylor was there, all legs in her short jean skirt, acting as if she owned the place. She was talking animatedly to my partner, Mike, and flipped her shiny, dark mahogany hair and laughed at something "funny" he must have said. I rolled my eyes, avoided her glare she threw that 'dared me' to tell her to move, and took her seat that was in the back. Emmett McCarty was her partner, and in my honest opinion, Alice's brother must be _pretty _good-looking for her to ditch Emmett. He was tall, muscular, and handsome with dark curly hair and sparkling, almost constantly amused eyes. And he was captain of the football team. I wasn't attracted to him or anything, it was just a fact that he was above average in the looks department. Still…I liked the front of the class. I could hear the teacher better, therefore take better notes.

"Hey, Bella, right?" he said me as I sat down. Honestly, I was surprised. I didn't think people like him knew my name. This new substitute thing was practically warping the whole universe.

I nodded mutely, taking out my Chemistry book, notebook, and pencil right away.

He watched me with a somewhat bored expression. "You're not going to go all swoony like all the other girls, are you?" he asked, turning to the front as if knowing my answer.

But, I knew what he was thinking, and I thought I should prove him horribly wrong. "Nope," I answered, immediately twirling my pencil through my fingers.

"Oh, great, it's not like everyone else is-" he stopped midsentence, as if processing what I just said, and I couldn't help but giggle at the expression on his face. "Wait, what?"

I sighed and leaned my head against my hand. "I said nope, I'm not going to get all 'swoony' like every other girl in here."

"Are you serious?"

"No, I'm, like, totally kidding." Yep, definitely talking too much today.

"Oh…"

I resisted the urge to smack him, I didn't know him very well after all. I cleared my throat and rolled my eyes instead. "That was _sarcasm_."

He looked at me, alarmed as if I didn't know how to be sarcastic in the first place. I thought it would have grown awkward from then on, but to my complete shock, he burst into laughter. Loud, very attention grabbing, Emmett-esque laughter. Everyone turned at the sound, already knowing who it was before they saw, but were not expecting me to be the reason for the whole thing.

"Oh wow," he chuckled, completely oblivious to everyone watching him. He was probably used to it. "That was good, I completely fell for it, too."

I nodded, looking away quickly. _He _may be used to the attention, but _I _certainly wasn't.

But Emmett wouldn't let up that easily, he elbowed me lightly, almost making me squeak, and whispered, "So you think the whole 'hot teacher' thing is totally lame, too?"

Again, a nod. But after a quick thought and licking my lips, I decided to reply just as silently, "Completely ridiculous. Everyone's making a fool of themselves. He's going to be gone by tomorrow, so what's the big deal?"

He laughed again, quieter this time. "I know, right? I thought every pretty girl was brain-dead after the first few periods, but it's good to be proven wrong."

I blushed at that, the red easily noticeable against my porcelain skin. "Thanks," I mumbled, even more embarrassed when he seemed to grin at my discomfort. I hated how most of the class was looking over, especially at me now, as if they were curious to what I could be saying that was catching his interest so much.

"What's wrong?" he asked, smirking.

I glared. "Everyone's _staring_."

Emmett looked around quickly, surprised, and then narrowed his eyes menacingly at everyone. "Hey," he barked out, succeeding in even making me jump. "The teacher's almost here, you better be turning around and fawning over him now, right?" All the girls turned swiftly, clearly afraid, while the guys chuckled and sent him air-fives or thumbs up. I was just grateful no one was looking back here anymore.

He turned back to me. "Better?"

I thought about it before answering slowly. "Considerably."

He grinned again, in that infectious sort of way that brought a smile to my face. "Well, I'm just glad I'm not stuck with some whore who's just gonna be staring at the teacher all day."

"Yeah, you're lucky."

"I am, if you thought about it-"

"Oh my God! He's here!" someone from the front exclaimed, making Emmett and I both look up. There was a girl looking out the small, rectangular window from the closed door, jumping up and down. "He's _so_-"

"Isn't he about to open the door?" Heidi put in dryly, and I saw her cross her legs, sit up straighter, and put on a shit-eating smile. The girl 'eeped' at her comment and raced back to her seat, re-fluffing her hair as she sat down.

Emmett snorted, and I let out a huff of amusement as I looked back down to doodle on the page of my notebook. I was determined not to look back up until the class was back to being serious and the substitute started teaching. I didn't even give a small glance when I heard the door open, nor when collective gasps traveled the room like a wave. I thought I was doing rather good…

Until he spoke.

"Hello, class," said a voice so smooth, so velvety, that my head snapped up faster than thought possible. "I'm Mr. Cullen."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: _Heyo, again, people :3 _

_Don't always expect a quick update like this. It's a three day weekend for me, so I just thought, "What the hell?"_

_Anyways...I'd like to thank Artemis Wolfe, Delanie, and waterman144 for your reviews :D Really made my day x) _

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. *sigh* As MUCH as I may want to, it will forever belong to the talented Stephenie Meyer. :)**_  
_

* * *

_Previously..._

"_Oh my God! He's here!" someone from the front exclaimed, making Emmett and I both look up. There was a girl looking out the small, rectangular window from the closed door, jumping up and down. "He's_ so-_"_

"_Isn't he about to open the door?" Heidi put in dryly, and I saw her cross her legs, sit up straighter, and put on a shit-eating smile. The girl 'eeped' at her comment and raced back to her seat, re-fluffing her hair as she sat down. _

_Emmett snorted, and I let out a huff of amusement as I looked back down to doodle on the page of my notebook. I was determined not to look back up until the class was back to being serious and the substitute started teaching. I didn't even give a small glance when I heard the door open, nor when collective gasps traveled the room like a wave. I thought I was doing rather good…_

_Until he spoke._

"_Hello, class," said a voice so smooth, so velvety, that my head snapped up faster than thought possible. "I'm Mr. Cullen."_

* * *

Everyone in the room was at a complete standstill as he walked in, including _me_. Which really was something, considering who I was. But I couldn't help myself from…from drinking in his appearance like everyone else. To have all the lines of his beautiful…_everything_…burned into every part of my mind. Because he _was _beautiful. I couldn't find any other word to describe it. The perfect way his face was sculpted with the high cheekbones. The firm, bow-shaped lips that was the ideal color against his amazingly clear pallor. And _those eyes_, they were the darkest depths of green I had ever seen. They seemed shadowed by the thick lashes that surrounded the edge of each eye. Mysterious. And a mess of windblown bronze hair covered those eyes, just barely, and he brushed some of it from his face. The action immediately sent my gaze to his slender fingers…_they _were even pretty.

And I had been right, he looked _nothing _like Alice. You wouldn't have been able to guess that they were related unless they told you themselves. Alice was small and petite, whereas her brother was tall and well developed. It even showed through his finely tailored, tan suit. A suit that hugged every muscle the man ever took time to build. It was almost unbelievable, how undeniably handsome he was.

But that voice of his, that's what had gotten to me. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. Jessica never warned me to how completely smooth, silky and deep it would be. It was something that caught anyone's ears within hearing distance. It would turn heads, pause any conversation…and hell, he could probably stop traffic. A war, eve-

"I'm subbing for Mrs. Swenson, today, as some of you may have heard," he informed in that voice of his, making me have to hold in a gasp. At least I had the control to, every other girl didn't seem to mind ogling him so publicly.

_Oh Gods_.

That's what I was doing, wasn't it?

Ogling him.

I almost hit myself, almost, as I snapped my gaze from him and looked back at what I had been doing. The rose I had been intent on drawing had been cut off mid-petal, because Mr. Cullen had walked in. I resumed in putting in more details, trying hard to distract myself from the man as he began taking roll. He was too handsome for his own good.

"Heh," Emmett chuckled softly to my right, and I did my best to ignore him, too. "Figures. You think he's shit hot."

My eyes flickered up, and I gave him a glare so intense, he actually backed away a bit. "Do not assume things," I bit out, too quiet for anyone else to hear, yet sharp enough for him to take seriously. "He's attractive, obviously. I can think that if I want." He opened his mouth, smugly, but I cut him off before he could begin. "_But_, that doesn't mean I'm going to fawn over him like everyone else." With that, I started my drawing again.

He settled back into his seat a little more, as if processing my words. "Huh. You really _are _different."

I stayed silent, deciding not to comment.

"Emmett McCarty?"

"Here."

Did he have to call the names so…_loudly_? Couldn't he see that I was trying to ignore him? He was making it so difficult. He should have subbed for the ASL class, it would have been easier. Except…they still would have had to stare at those beautiful hands.

Damn his perfection.

"Isabella Swan?"

"Bella," I corrected automatically, looking up and meeting his eyes, keeping my face as neutral as possible.

Mr. Cullen smiled crookedly at my correction, a smile I found I could barely ignore, and my breath caught. With time, this would hopefully become easier to endure. "Bella it is," he said, writing something down on the clipboard he had been reading from. But, as he looked at the paper he wrote on, he frowned and glanced back up at me. "You don't sit there," he commented, notching one, slender brow.

I nodded slowly, already aware of this.

"Would you like to find your…_assigned _seat, Miss Swan?" he asked, tapping a pen on the clipboard for emphasis.

"I know where it is," I replied flippantly, making Emmett and a few guys snicker. I wasn't trying to be funny or anything, I was just telling the truth. "But, there's someone in it."

"Is that so?"

I nodded mutely. _'No, I was _lying_,' _my mind snapped back sarcastically.

"Would you like to tell them to move?" he settled back against the teacher's desk, crossing his arms as he studied me. Was he amused? He better not be. I was trying to be serious.

"You're the sub, you know where it is, why don't you do it?" I retorted, surprising myself yet again. What was wrong with me today? I hadn't meant to say that out loud at all. A few people turned their heads, staring at me with shocked eyes, and I couldn't blame them. This was definitely _not _something I would do.

His dark eyes narrowed at me, just slightly, and I suddenly felt embarrassed. Heat began creeping up my neck, and I was glad I was in my sweatshirt.

"Very well," he said, almost too quietly to hear, and he peeked back down at the clipboard. "Considering you're in Heidi Taylor's seat," Did he see the way she perked up when he spoke her name? It was ridiculous. Some people just had no restraint. "I'd say she's in yours. Heidi?"

There was no point in calling her name, he already had her full attention. She looked at him innocently, making her eyes wide. "Yes, Mr. Cullen?" she said his name almost huskily, and it was almost sickening how completely _obvious _she was.

It was admiring, I had to admit, that he chose to ignore her advances. They were probably childish to him, which was understandable. Instead of acknowledging her…in Jessica's words, 'sluttish' ways, he looked at her with a cool, serious face of indifference. "Would you please go back to your original seat?" he asked calmly.

"But…Mr. Cullen," she leaned forward a little as she said this. To my guess, she was trying to flaunt her…assets…just a bit. "I can't hear from way back there. It's much better here. Can I stay, please?" she finished off her request with a small pout.

He shook his head, unmoved by her words. "Absolutely not. Mrs. Swenson has a specific seating order, one that I will abide to, along with rules she has left for me. Which, Miss Taylor, includes everyone sit in their required seats. So…if you will?" he looked away from her and back to me. "You too, Bella, please."

"Dammit, bye Swan," Emmett muttered to me.

I shrugged at him and re-packed my things, slinging everything over my shoulder as I walked to the front of the class. Heidi, looking defeated, took her time in getting all her stuff back in the sky-blue carrying bag she used. Standing there, waiting for her, I sighed quietly and shook my head. I may be silent most of the time, but that didn't, by any means, say I had patience. I heard a tiny, muffled laugh behind me, and I peeked back to meet Mr. Cullen's eyes. He was staring at me, amused yet again. A strange, warm feeling started in my chest, but I pursed my lips and looked away before I could identify what it was.

When she had finally made it back to her seat, and I in mine, Mr. Cullen cleared his throat. From here, I realized quite out of the blue, that his angelic voice was much more clearer from upfront. Also, I could see the detail of his image much better from here, and it really was astonishing. He _had _to know the affect he was having on these people.

_Including you, right? _Some unknown voice, somewhere deep within the confines of my mind, teased. I frowned at the thought. He didn't affect me nearly as much as every one else…right? As I looked about discretely at every other girl staring up at him with adoring eyes, I knew I didn't look at him like that. I was absolutely positive, actually.

"Now, everyone," Mr. Cullen began speaking, breaking me from my pondering with his unique tone of voice. "Mrs. Swenson had already prepared today's notes, and has left them on the overhead. She wants everything copied down exactly as shown," he flicked on the overhead, and the words started out blurred. I took my notebook and pencil back out as he walked to the doorway to turn off the lights in the room. At once, the clarity of the notes improved, and I began writing without question. "She wants me to inform you that there will be a lab tomorrow, concerning these very notes. So, make sure you get down every detail. Once most of the class is done with this page, I'll put up the other." Groans filled the room at the notice of another page to copy, but I did not complain. Schoolwork was essential.

The class was quiet, except for the shuffling of some of my classmates taking out the required material to take their notes. There was some whispering here or there, but people were either intent on getting everything down…or staring at Mr. Cullen as he observed the classroom. Truthfully…I did not know which category I fell under. It was probably a little bit of both. I couldn't help but steal a glance at him every once-in-awhile. The absorbed look on his face while he watched everyone gave me some time to study his features more closely. Something I haven't really ever done with a male before, which was quite sad.

I started, almost violently, when his eyes flickered over to fall on me. My head jerked down quickly, but not fast enough to miss the smirk that had tilted a corner of his lips. Damn, I was practically caught. How…discomforting.

"Hey…Bella…" I bit my lips and looked over at Mike, who was leaning surreptitiously near me. Without answering, I raised my brows in question. He huffed, annoyed, because I knew how annoyed he was with my silences. Mike Newton was a very talkative boy, because he was used to the whole talking thing. With the styled blonde hair, blue eyes, and baby face, he was very popular. But, he was that kind of person who wanted to make friends with everybody. And that, unfortunately, had apparently included me. Though, try as he might, I never really spoke to him. The only time I did was when it was required, like with partner work.

Now, he rolled his eyes and leaned closer to me so he could whisper, "You're taking the notes, right?" He wasn't a very good whisperer, and I was pretty sure that even Mr. Cullen could hear him. Actually, the way Mr. Cullen had tilted his head a bit in our direction, and glanced furtively at us, I was positive he could hear.

Not that Mike had noticed, but I didn't care. I nodded at him, anyways, to answer his question.

"And…" he continued, shifting slightly. "the lab tomorrow will probably be partner work, right?" I nodded again, sighing internally, knowing where he was going with this. "So…would it be okay if you took the notes for both of us? I'm kind of beat." Of course he was. I shrugged, offhand, and he took it as a yes. "Thanks a bunch, Bella." And then he turned and buried his face in his arms, falling asleep.

I looked back up to see Mr. Cullen still staring, though not as secretively anymore. His eyes studied me intently, as if searching for something, and that strange feeling in the pit of my stomach started up again, warming me. When his gaze finally met mine head-on, he raised a brow and gestured towards Mike, as if asking why. In answer, I merely shrugged, making him frown in confusion. I glanced away then, trying not to get too distracted with the knowledge that he was watching me, and started back where I left off as if nothing had happened. I could feel the burn of his gaze on the back of my neck, but I chose to ignore it, knowing he had to look away at some point.

"Mr. Cullen?" called Katie Liam, raising a hand in the air. I could practically feel the lift of his eyes off me, and I nearly sighed in relief.

"Yes?"

"There's something I don't understand," she explained liltingly. "Can you help?"

"Of course," he made his way over to her, and spent the next few minutes talking to her in whispers, much to her delight.

Grateful for his distraction, I leaned more against the desk and shook my head. This was completely insane, what was _wrong _with me? I was definitely talking too much today, I had practically used up a week's worth of my words at lunch…and it was discontenting. I shouldn't be changing all because a substitute decided to show up. Granted…he was a very _good-looking _sub, but that still left me with no excuse.

I snuck a glance behind my shoulder to look at him again, watching as he explained deftly to Katie what she needed help on. A piece of bronze hair, still shining even in the darkness of the room, fell in his eyes, but he paid no attention to it. It wasn't until I met his gaze that I realized he had caught me staring…_again_.

Snapping my attention back to the front, I tried to pay no mind to how my heartbeat had suddenly decided to quicken in pace. I took a look at the clock.

'_Thirty-seven more minutes…' _I thought to myself, carefully controlling my breathing. _'Thirty-seven minutes…and I can leave.'

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A/N: _But...why would you _want _to leave? D: Silly Bella :) _

_I didn't like this chapter that much, only because I didn't type it in my usual environment -_- I was surrounded by my cousins and their _loud_ friends. So...I'm not sure if it turned out that well :S oh well...I put it on here anyways :)  
_

_Review? :3_

_-Sapphire  
_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: _Thank you, karatekid917 and Delanie for the reviews (: (Delanie's made me laugh XD)_

_This story is officially dedicated to Ginger, who has always had her little fantasies about a Mr. Cullen herself. :,) (RIP, Gingy, love you forever)  
_

**Disclaimer: Nope. No matter how much I plead and beg. I still DON'T OWN TWILIGHT.**_  
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I snuck a glance behind my shoulder to look at him again, watching as he explained deftly to Katie what she needed help on. A piece of bronze hair, still shining even in the darkness of the room, fell in his eyes, but he paid no attention to it. It wasn't until I met his gaze that I realized he had caught me staring…_again.

_Snapping my attention back to the front, I tried to pay no mind to how my heartbeat had suddenly decided to quicken in pace. I took a look at the clock._

'Thirty-seven more minutes…'_ I thought to myself, carefully controlling my breathing. _'Thirty-seven minutes…and I can leave.'

XxX

Those thirty-seven minutes passed by much slower than I thought they would. Even when I completely ignored him to take notes, a part of me kept nagging that he was staring, and that fact alone made time slow down. It wasn't like I ever looked up to check, it was just a weird feeling that would suddenly make me flushed and overly self-conscious about myself. Which was stupid. But still, I was glad that the lights were turned off for the rest of the period and Mike was asleep. No one else had to see me like this.

And when the bell finally rang overhead, I shot up from my seat in relief, quickly shoving everything into my book bag and swinging it onto my shoulder as I headed for the door.

"Farewell, everyone," Mr. Cullen dismissed, his voice low and friendly.

I decided not to reply to him, and to just leave. There was no reason to drag this out any longer, it wasn't like I was going to see him again. Sure, there was the possibility that he may sub for other classes at this school in the future, but what were the chances that the would be mine?

Yet, try as I might, it was hard to ignore how every other girl turned to tell him goodbye, their tones sweet and in unison. I resisted the urge to see his reaction to their act, and pushed out the door.

Only to run into two, overly exuberant females.

"Bella!" Jessica squealed, my eyes widening as she grabbed hold of my arm and tugged me out of the way of the students behind me. "How was it? Did you see him? Total God, am I right?" She spoke fast and quick, making me struggle to catch her words.

"Hiya, Mr. Cullen!" Lauren called to the still open Chemistry door, when all the other classmates had finally left, making me flinch. I looked back for a moment to see he had given her a kind wave, but the confused expression on his face meant he possibly didn't remember her name. Lauren paid it no mind though, and was obviously just glad he had responded to her.

My breathing almost seized in my chest when he switched his gaze to me, then gave a very nice, dazzle quality smile. I turned my attention back to Jessica, fearing for my health around that man.

"What?" I asked, suddenly forgetting what she had said.

Her mind wasn't on me though, but on Mr. Cullen. "He smiled," she whispered, almost dreamily. "Freakin' sexy piece of-"

"Jess, stop harassing Bella, please," Alice said as she came up from the hall, shaking her head. "I'm sure she doesn't want to hear it."

"Thank you," I muttered, pulling my arm free from Jessica's grasp. "I _do _have P.E. next. Three whole buildings down from here."

Lauren rolled her eyes at me, snorting in that very not-attractive kind of way. "Oh please, it's just P.E. You have to tell us all about it, though!"

"About what?" Alice questioned, looping her elbow daintily through mine.

"About her hour with the _Greek go_-"

"Alice?" The three of them froze at the same time when the melodic voice broke into our conversation. I hadn't, for I had saw him coming. I had watched as he registered Alice's presence, then got up from his desk to come toward us. A growing dread had built inside me as he had gotten closer, and I was surprised I was able to keep it all off from showing on my face.

I watched a smile bloom across Alice's features as she caught sight of who it was. "Hey Ed-oh," she giggled. "I mean, Mr. Cullen."

Did she almost slipup on his first name?

That peaked my curiosity just a bit. Was she about to say Edgar? Or maybe…Edwin? Edmund? Edison? I frowned, debating the possibilities inside my head.

He chuckled at that, and reached out to muss up her spiky black hair, and she smacked at him with a laugh, backing away more into my side for safety. Jessica and Lauren were both watching their familiarity with jealous/awed eyes. I found that quite ridiculous, considering they _were _siblings. And they didn't need to be so open about their fascination with him, because I was sure he found that creepy.

"Oh, right," he replied jokingly, the amusement in his eyes not hidden. "I apologize for that, Miss Cullen. But shouldn't you be getting to class?" He shook his head. "Mother would not be pleased."

"Sorry, sir," she said. "But friends are my first priority." For emphasis, she squeezed our linked elbows.

On my count, it was the wrong move for her to do. He immediately flickered his emerald eyes in my direction, making the air cut quickly from my lungs. It was all his fault, too. Didn't he know he was so damn beautiful? It wasn't fair for him to just walk around like it was nothing. People like me had lives to live, and I couldn't do that if he kept barging into it to stare at me with those eyes of his.

He considered me for a moment longer, then shifted his gaze back to Alice, and I conspicuously took a deep breath. "Friends, Miss Cullen? I'm sure your education is much more important than your social life," he smiled that stunning, crooked smile, then added, "or lack there of."

Alice gasped at his comment, then swatted at his shoulder. She had to pull us both closer to him to do so, and I cringed mentally at how much the distance between us had lessened. And my mind, deciding to take a very self-centered route, was determined to think that he had looked down, noticing the proximity as well.

"You, Mr. Cullen, are a _complete _a-"

And then the minute bell rang, cutting her off.

I grimaced.

"Shit," Jessica and Lauren said together.

"We're going to be late," Alice whined, whipping her head around to observe the rapidly emptying hallway. I sighed, knowing what was to come. Being late for P.E. meant an extra lap around the track, and I really wasn't into the whole 'running' thing. Besides being well-known for my silences, a lot of people also knew of my klutzy habits.

I hated P.E.

I looked up to see that Mr. Cullen had a slight frown on his face, observing the four of us. "Don't be silly, I can write you all notes to take to your next classes."

That awed look came back to Jessica and Lauren's eyes. I was thankful and everything, but I wasn't going to make myself look like that. I offered a small smile, which was something, right?

"Aw, thank you Mr. Cullen!" Lauren giggled, tucking a strand of white blonde hair behind her ear shyly when he smiled her way.

"It's no problem," he said. "Why don't you guys step into the room? Just tell me the names of the teachers you're going to, and it'll be settled." He beckoned to the door, and Alice pulled me in with the rest of them. As we all entered, the final bell rang, and I was officially late.

"I'm going to Mr. Varner," Jessica piped up. "Math class."

Mr. Cullen strode lithely to his desk, and I refrained from huffing in irritation. Even the way he _walked _was distracting. What the hell?

He sat in the chair and opened a drawer as we stood in front of the desk, taking out a pen and four small, yellow sheets. Swiftly, he began writing something onto one of them, then looked up with a smile to give it to Jessica. "Mr. Varner, math." He confirmed.

"Oh! Thank you!" she fluttered her lashes a little and held the paper to her heart, as if it was the most important thing in the world, and I bit back a sigh. If only she knew how completely asinine she looked. Mr. Cullen was far from a teenager, and wasn't going to fall for something childish like that. I knew she 'wanted' him and everything, but she had to know this was not the right approach. Not that he would notice her, at any rate.

"I have math with Varner, too!" Lauren put in, clearly envious of the attention on Jessica.

He wrote down her class, then Alice's when she told him hers was in English. Handing them theirs, he then turned to me. "And you, Miss Swan?" I heard Jessica and Lauren both give slight gasps when he spoke, simply because I was the only one, besides Alice, that he had referred to by name. It wasn't that big of a deal, in my opinion.

"P.E., Coach Clapp," I murmured, choosing to look out the window instead of into his eyes. Or at him, in particular. I didn't really want to go to class, either.

Again, I hated P.E.

"Alrighty then…" After the small sound of pen against paper, he held the yellow slip out to me. "There you are."

"Thank you," I reached out to take it from him, but when my fingers grabbed hold of it, he didn't let it go. On instinct, my eyes flashed over to his hand, still gripping the paper, then at him in confusion. When our gazes locked, he gave me that one, crooked smile that could scatter my thoughts, then released the paper. I bit my lip and folded it inside my palm.

"Your welcome," he said quietly, then his face became stoic and business-like as he addressed us all as a group. "You guys can take your leave now, I'm pretty sure you've missed enough, as it is."

"Yes, Mr. Cullen," Jessica simpered, twirling a piece of her hair, and I snorted at her.

Alice looked at me, surprised. "Bella?"

They were all staring now, much to my horror. And Mr. Cullen looked so…_amused_. It sidetracked me, the sparkle in his eyes.

"Sorry," I apologized hurriedly, a blush creeping it's way to my face. "I…uh…I just…"

"Shouldn't you four be going, now?" Mr. Cullen said sternly, saving me.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen," Jessica said again, her tone sickly sweet. "We'll be going. Come one guys!" she hip-bumped Lauren towards the door and grabbed Alice's free elbow, succeeding in getting all of us out at one time. I didn't even have time to give him a parting, thank-you glance.

"Bye!" Lauren called out.

"Oh, just shut it," Alice grumbled, irritated.

"Let us have our fun," Jessica grinned, making Lauren giggle as she swatted playfully at her. "You shouldn't have had someone as hot as sin for a brother."

"You say that like I could have _done _something about it," Alice snapped, avoiding her hands.

I rolled my eyes. "Before this gets any bitchier, I think I'm going to go."

"Hey! Alice is the one being the spoil sport!" Lauren defended herself.

I didn't say anything, just picked up my speed in steps as I left their bickering behind me. I had mentally decided that I'd rather face P.E. than go through one of their small little catfights again.

I unfolded the paper Mr. Cullen had given me as I made my way to the right building, suddenly curious about his handwriting. When I flipped it open, I gasped aloud. Luckily, there was no one around me to see my lame, girlish reaction to it.

His calligraphy was…_amazing_. Impeccable. Beautiful. The way the letters curled and connected smoothly to one another…was something I had never seen before. The beauty of his writing was like him, I concluded, studying the script more closely. Rare and breathtaking.

I had this urge to just keep it. But, I knew the idea was futile. The note was meant for Coach Clapp to keep. Damn him. At least it would serve it's purpose, saving me from running the extra lap.

However, no matter what this note meant…I still hated P.E.

* * *

_A/N: Yeah, I know, really short chapter._

_I was planning on making it longer...actually, it was SUPPOSED to be longer but..._

_Reality kind of came crashing down on me today. _

_I may or may not disappear for a week or two, funeral preperations and everything, helping with the candlelight vigil tomorrow. Have to support Ginger's family. I'm still writing and everything...just not...typing it out for now. I'll be back though, I'm going to finish this for my Gingy :) She was the one who put the idea of "Mr. Cullen" in my head, so it's for her XD  
_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _Thank you Delanie, (made me laugh, again. XD Only because Mrs. Swenson is an ACTUAL teacher of mine. And the idea of her being pushed off a cliff is somewhat amusing to me XD), CarvedKid and waterman144 for the reviews c:_

_This is, technically, the other half of Chapter 3 I couldn't finish. _

_But I typed this while Ginger's mom had a private talk with the funeral people, regarding them embalming Gingy. _

_So I decided to finish this part, and post it up as Chapter 4 while I waited on the porch.  
_

_It's a filler chapter, by the way. Just a warning :)  
_

**Disclaimer: I. Still. Don't. Own. Twilight. *gives a longing look to her Edward cutout* Or Edward. ):**_  
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Previously..._

_I unfolded the paper Mr. Cullen had given me as I made my way to the right building, suddenly curious about his handwriting. When I flipped it open, I gasped aloud. Luckily, there was no one around me to see my lame, girlish reaction to it. _

_His calligraphy was…_amazing_. Impeccable. Beautiful. The way the letters curled and connected smoothly to one another…was something I had never seen before. The beauty of his writing was like him, I concluded, studying the script more closely. Rare and breathtaking. _

_I had this urge to just keep it. But, I knew the idea was futile. The note was meant for Coach Clapp to keep. Damn him. At least it would serve it's purpose, saving me from running the extra lap. _

_However, no matter what this note meant…I still hated P.E.

* * *

_

"Dad? I'm back!"

I shut the door behind me, locking it shut. The telltale sound of snoring and a Windex commercial came pouring in from the living room, explaining Charlie's lack of response. I padded into the room to find him stretched out on the sofa, not even out of his jacket and belt, which he usually hung up by the door. He was sleeping in it…and that certainly didn't look safe.

"Dad…" I mumbled, pushing at his shoulder a little. He didn't open his eyes, but gave a garbled reply. "Dad, you have to take off your belt. What if something happens, and you accidently shoot your leg?" I pushed with a bit more force, and his eyes snapped open.

"What? What's going on?" he shot up, then staggered at the sudden head rush. "Bella?"

"I'm right here, Dad," Charlie always reacted like this when I woke him up. It must be some kind of policeman reflex. "Calm down, I just wanted you to take off your gear before you hurt yourself, okay? You can go back to sleep…and I'm going to get started on dinner. Alright?" He wasn't very coherent, so talking to him like he was a child was a necessity for him.

He shook his head, rubbing at his eyes and nodded mutely in response. He stripped off his jacket, then gun belt, handing them both to me before flopping back on the couch. I sighed, walking back to the front door to throw them on the hanger. Charlie was getting old, so I really couldn't blame him for his behavior. He was tired, so I let him sleep.

I found my way to the kitchen and tossed my book bag onto the counter. I wasn't in a very good mood, so I wanted the food to be fast and quick to make so I could go and bitch about it in the confines of my room. Pesto turkey and pasta sounded good, and we had everything to make it.

I took out the ingredients needed, set them on the counter by the stove, and pulled out a cutting board. I started cutting the red bell peppers and turkey breast as the pasta cooked in the pot.

My day had ended horribly, and I really didn't want to return to school tomorrow. And it was all because of that _damn _substitute. Mr. Cullen.

And also because of Heidi Taylor and Tanya Denali.

Between the passing period of Chemistry and P.E., a class that I had unfortunately shared with both of them, Heidi had decided to tell Tanya about my little outburst in science. Tanya, who was supposedly, 'in love' with Mr. Cullen, and apparently knew someday they would 'be together', had flipped. She took it the wrong way, _completely misunderstood _the situation, and bitched out at me when I arrived in the locker room. And now, according to the two malicious females, I had been demanding his attention. _I _was, allegedly, trying to steal him away from her.

I thought everything she bawled out was absolutely nonsensical, taking into account that her 'best friend' Heidi had been fruitlessly flirting absurdly with her so called 'boo' anytime she had her chance during Chemistry. Not that I said anything, anyways, because I preferred silence. Their squabbling had already been gallingly loud enough, and adding my voice into the mix would have just irritated me further. So, I stayed quiet as they yelled and accused their nonsense.

Then, to make matters even _worse_, Tanya had spotted the yellow slip in my hand, and she took it. Only because Mr. Cullen had written on it, she decided to keep it. Which only meant one thing…I had to run that extra lap. And it was me alone, while everyone there had to watch and wait as continuously tripped over my own two feet . It had been humiliating.

After P.E., I had run straight to my old, beat-up truck, more mortified than I was willing to admit. I vaguely remembered Alice calling my name as I headed out to the parking lot, but I paid no attention to it and had hurriedly drove away from the school. It wasn't really nice of me to ignore _her_, considering she didn't do anything to me. But I just wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody, not even my best friend.

I drained out the pasta and put it in a saucepan, adding in the bell peppers, turkey, and pesto, stirring it a bit.

The drive back home had been hell. The thundering sound of the truck, something I usually paid no mind to, had given me a headache. And, for some impalpable reason, my thoughts were focused on Mr. Cullen. Which was dangerous, because my mind found him highly distractive. Never before had I feared the road so much, than when I knew I wasn't paying enough attention to it.

Damn that man. Stirring up things inside me that would be better off left alone. He was a _teacher _for God's sake. And I didn't want to turn into Jessica Stanley, or Lauren Mallory. I'd kill myself before something like that happened.

I took out a couple of plates and served out the pasta, adding some olives to the top for an extra touch. I set up the table on my own, then ventured back to the living room to retrieve Charlie. He was in a better mood the second time around, probably because of the smell of food that had drifted in, and got up willingly to sit at the dining table. I got out a beer from the fridge for him, and poured a glass of water for me.

We ate in silence, something I was used to. My mind was on other things, anyways. My father and I were a lot alike, favoring the quiet in order to avoid any awkwardness that could seep into a conversation. But still, a few words were necessary for a healthy parent/teenager relationship.

"How was work?" I asked when we were both finished, taking his plate from him so I could wash the dishes.

He grunted and shook his head. "Tiring. Boring, actually. Feels like I got up for no reason when I arrived this morning, because there was nothing to do."

"You live in Forks, Dad," I said, starting up the water. "No big time crime is going to happen in a small town like this."

"You never know, Bells," he replied, finishing off his beer and standing up. "I'm going to go watch the game."

I continued washing as he disappeared into the living room, and the sound of some sport filtered into the kitchen. When I was done, I retrieved my school things off the counter and hiked up to my room.

My room was my safe haven, the epitome of who I was. It had that peaceful, serene feel to it. The fair paint and light décor. The only furniture was my bed and matching dresser, a rocking chair in the corner, a shelf, and my computer desk. Other than that, it was practically empty, not that their was much room to begin with. It was the room I was born in, where I lived before my mother ran away with me, so it was pretty small in size. But I didn't care, because I didn't need a lot of room for the insubstantial amount of things I own.

I threw the book bag onto the bed and rifled through it, taking out my homework. There was only math and English, not a heavy load. Usually, I'd have some from every academic class. But, in science today we only took notes so…

And then, quiet unbidden, the image of Mr. Cullen smirking at me flashed through my mind, and I dropped my binder. My papers scattered across my floor, and I kneeled down to pick them up with a groan.

Dammit…not again. It already happened three times in the car. At the time, I thought he was trying to kill me. Now, though, I thought he was just trying to piss me off.

I set everything in a neat pile back on the bed, then went to search for a pencil. About the same time I pulled one out, I heard Charlie call, "Bella! Phone for you!"

Phone?

Did it even _ring_?

I shook my head, concluding that I had probably been too distracted by Mr. Cullen, yet again, to notice what was going on around me. How unsettling.

And who would be calling me, anyways? It was probably Renee, because I was sure she was the only one I ever talked to on the phone, but my mother usually waited until the weekend to call. Today was Thursday, so that probably meant something important was up.

I left my room and jogged down the stairs. Charlie was back on the recliner, so I went to grab the phone, which he left laying on the counter.

"Mom?" I said immediately, twisting around the cord out of habit.

"_Mom_?" A high toned voice questioned back, and my jaw almost hit the floor.

"Alice?" I asked, surprised. When had I ever given her my number? And why was she calling in the first place? Whenever she needed t talk after school, she usually drove over in her sleek, yellow Porsche 911 Turbo.

"Bella!" she squealed, making me have to pull the phone from my ear. "I called the right one, then!"

"How did you get my number?" I demanded, still shocked from hearing her voice on the other end.

She giggled excitedly. "The phone book, silly!" she answered merrily. She seemed to be in a much better mood now that she was home. Probably because she didn't have to hear about her brother's physical traits everywhere she went anymore. "Now," her tone became serious. "I really need to talk to you."

I wasn't used to this whole, 'phone a friend' thing, and there was a long pause before I replied. "About…what?"

She sniffed lightly. "Jessica and Lauren are spending the night tomorrow…and I need you to be there, too."

I blinked, then turned to face the wall. "Umm…what?"

"Oh, please Bella!" she begged. "Please! You can't just leave me with them! I need someone sane here, or I'll. Go. Crazy."

"Alice…" I said calmly. "If you don't want them there, why invite them over in the first place?" I studied the plain, white wall in front of me, refusing to voice why I really didn't want to go. Going to her house meant raising the chances of seeing Mr. Cullen again. But…was this a good or a bad thing?

My chest tightened painfully.

"They _asked_, Bella," she explained. "I couldn't just turn them _down. _You know how nice I am!"

Indeed. I sighed and leaned against the wall. "And why do I have to be there?"

"I told you, I need someone sane," she repeated. "Someone who _doesn't _think and talk about my brother twenty-four seven." I swallowed heavily on that statement. She only had that half right I never talked about him.

"What if I…have plans?" I tried weakly, knowing I was already condemned to going, anyways. I could never let down a pouting Alice. It was impossible.

"What plans?" she snapped. "Bella, I know you. All you ever do over the weekend is _read_." She paused for a second. "And draw," she added thoughtfully.

"Alice, I-" Loud shuffling came from the other end, cutting me off.

"It's Bella," she answered someone on the other end. Her voice was muffled, so she was probably covering the receiver with her hand. I could still hear her, just barely, but not the person talking to her. "I'm inviting her over, too." There was a long break, probably that person saying something, then she said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting ready. Hold on." More shuffling, and then I heard her breathing. "Please, Bella?" she asked again, the sound clear again.

I gave in, putting aside the consequences. "Fine, I'll go."

"Thank you!" I could hear her jumping up and down on the other end. "You can come right after school, so bring stuff in your truck, 'kay?"

"Alright…"

"Oh, and tomorrow, you can tell me about what happened in P.E." she said, voice dangerously thick with curiosity. I was about to object to it, but she interrupted me. "Ah, ah, ah, no questions, Bella. We're best friends, damn it, and we have been for two years. You should be able to tell me, and not run away. You should know I'm here for you."

"I know, Alice," I mumbled, turning so my back was to the wall.

"Good. Now, I have to go. I called instead of coming over 'cause I had to hurry and get ready. Jasper's taking me to the movies, and we have to drop my brother off at a car dealership so he can…buy a car." Well, that explains things. But…wait…

"He doesn't have a car?" I asked. "Then, how did he get to the school?"

"He took Dad's Mercedes," she said, her words rushed now. "And then Dad took the Aston Martin to work." Jesus, I hadn't been over to her house in so long, that I had forgotten how many cars the Cullen's owned. And now they were getting _another _car? My eyes cut to my old, rusty truck sitting out on the driveway. Unbelievable.

"Bella, I have to go. Be ready tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Yeah…okay." I muttered, and we hung up. I bit my lip, staying against the wall for awhile until I had all my thoughts sorted out.

"What was that about, Bells?" Charlie asked from the living room. Which reminded me, I should have asked him before agreeing to going. He'd probably say yes, anyways. He loved Alice like she was another daughter of his.

"Oh…well…" I pushed off the wall and walked into the room so I could ask him to his face. "Is it alright if I went to Alice's tomorrow for a sleepover? Jessica and Lauren are going to be there, too."

"A sleepover?" he looked away from the TV so he could snap his gaze to me. "Sure, why not? You haven't been out with friends for…God knows how long."

He was teasing now, and I gave him a grateful smile. "I'm going there right after school," I told him. "You sure you could handle dinner on your own?"

He snorted. "Ha, ha, ha, Bella."

I smiled and headed back up to my room. I knew that tonight's homework would be easy enough to go through. But to mentally prepare to going to Alice's house tomorrow…knowing that her brother was going to be there…

That was another story, entirley.

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A/N: _Not much really happened.  
_

_But I promise..._

_more Edward/Bella interaction coming SOON :) Very soon :D  
_

_Review? :3  
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	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you, Delanie, for your reviews (: Trust me, Alice's antics will come into play later XD

Just not now, because she isn't aware of the whole Edward/Bella thing just yet :)

* * *

Previously...

_I smiled and headed back up to my room. I knew that tonight's homework would be easy enough to go through. But to mentally prepare to going to Alice's house tomorrow…knowing that her brother was going to be there…_

_That was another story, entirely. _

* * *

"Bella!" Almost immediately after exiting my truck to get to school, I was attacked by an overly energetic, pixie friend of mine. She looped her elbow through mine and we started towards the entrance.

"Alice," I monotone in greeting.

My tone didn't severe her mood in any way, and I could only guess why. "My brother's not here," she was jumping happily beside me. "Don't have to watch anyone simper over him today." I used my free hand to stop her leaping, placing it on our elbows and tugging down sharply. She gave me a sheepish look. "Sorry, I'm just really glad."

I nodded, looking forward.

"Your locker or mine?" she asked, and I shrugged in response. She thought about it for a second, then frowned. "Let's go to yours," she suggested, pulling us the right direction. "I bet Jess and her big mouth has spread around that Mr. Cullen is my brother by now, and there's probably hordes of girls at mine, wanting his number." I smiled at that, and she continued. "They'll act all nice, like their my friends, but I won't fall for that crap. I only need true friends. Like you, Bella."

I squeezed her elbow as my thanks, and she understood.

"I liked you yesterday," she said as we made it to my locker. I stepped forward to open it. "You talked a lot more. But, I think it's because you were irritated with the whole 'hot substitute' thing." I raised my eyebrows at her, wondering what she meant by that, and she quickly backtracked. "Not that I don't like you every other day," she explained. "It's just…I guess hearing your voice all the time like that is rare and everything." She smiled softly. "I liked it. Angela and Jasper did, too."

I pursed my lips, opening my locker and giving her a look as I started putting the things I didn't need away. She was talking to them about me?

"Yeah," she replied to the question in my eyes. I really loved how she has come to understand me so well. "I talked to the two of them about it yesterday. Oh! By the way," I stepped aside, and she started putting in her things as well. "Angela's not crazy. She doesn't think Mr. Cullen was all that great, for the record. She's like you, I guess. Not exactly, but it's kind of the same concept. You look for what's on the inside, and Angela looks for what's in the brains. Physical appearance doesn't matter to you guys, really."

I nodded, thinking about Angela's boyfriend, Ben, who was incredibly intelligent. She used to like Eric, too. That was the past and everything, but he was also very clever.

"So, I know you're not talking now," she said, closing the locker when she was done. "But we _will _talk about the P.E. thing at my place, 'kay?" I rolled my eyes before signaling my consent, and she giggled. "Alright, come on. Jasper's probably waiting in Art and everything since we took the long way to your locker. If we're lucky, he set up our easels." My lip twitched up at that. Of course he set them up, because unless he was asking for a very attention-drawing Alice fit, he would set them up. No need for a repeat on what happened the last time we took the route to my locker.

"He got a Volvo, if you were curious," she said, leaning slightly into me. "He bought it right away. A silver one, S60. So we didn't have to pick him up at the movies. It's really nice, new car smell and everything."

A Volvo? Hmm…if I thought about that, it seemed to fit him well. I could just imagine, him pulling into the driveway in his silver car. The vision seemed to take a dream-like, slow-motion quality as I envisioned him stepping out, running a hand through the bronze hair the sun would be glinting off of. That crooked smile on his lips as he turned to-

I cut off that thought quickly, shaking my head.

Not _again_.

My mind has been way too preoccupied with him lately…and I wanted it to end.

But no. My subconscious hates my guts.

I forced my mind to pay attention to the present as Alice and I finally made it to Art. There was no reason to be out of it today, I was trying to make up for ignoring Alice and running out yesterday. I thought I was doing well enough. On some days, I don't talk or respond at all. Those days worried her the most.

Jasper had set up the easels, thankfully, and had even taken the time to get out our portfolios and set them up by our seats. Alice brightened immediately at the sight.

"Hey, Alice. Hey Bella," Jasper greeted as I sat down, and I gave him a nod of recognition. He glanced at Alice, confused, and she shrugged.

"Thanks for setting them up for us, Jazzy!" she exclaimed happily, sitting down and patting his knee. I smirked, picking up my portfolio and taking out this week's work. It was Friday, so I had to finish it today.

"Heh…yeah…no problem," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

I set up my drawing against the easel and dug through my bag for a good pencil.

"God, Bella, thanks for making me feel like crap."

I pulled out my drawing utensil and looked at Jasper, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. What had I done?

He sighed and shook his head, his blue eyes impressed as he gazed at my work. I was starting to get used to this kind of thing from him, honestly. He did it every time. Only because I had a miserably low level of self-esteem, I never thought anything I did was that great. It wasn't like I tried, either. When I sketched, I never really had to think about it. Everything around me goes quiet when I start, figuratively speaking, and it just comes out. Yet, according to a lot of people, I had a knack for it.

It was simple, to me, at least. The theme had been 'friendship'. Now, in my opinion, that had been a very broad topic for my teacher to provide. Mentally, I had been scared I wouldn't be able to finish, because I had no clue what to begin with. Everyone around me had been doing their own thing, their friends, their intimate partners.

And then, on Tuesday of this week, I had gone grocery shopping after school. As I stood in line with my items, their had been two elderly ladies in front of me. They were talking, laughing – giggling, even – like two teenagers. Their relationship between one another was heartwarming, and I found myself smiling blissfully at the sight. And, as I did so, they suddenly became my muse. The perfect models for what I wanted to do. Very politely, I had asked them if I could take a picture for an art project of mine, and they had willingly accepted. The photograph had turned out perfect, if anyone were to ask me. Just for this, I had bought a disposable camera to take it.

They stood, arms around each other's waist, smiling as if their life was complete. They looked so much younger with the grins on their faces. They looked so…close. The sun was out, shining beautifully on the two. Their eyes were alight with laughter and love, it was very uplifting, and the whole experience had been awe-inspiring.

And that was what I had drawn. Both women, standing there, linked in their harmony. I had learned later that their names were Judith and Mary, and they requested a copy of the picture. But, I decided on the next best thing, and I suggested if I could send either of them my drawing, instead. They agreed wholeheartedly. My sketch, of course, was only in black and white. But I wanted them to have it, because underneath, I had wrote, "Friendship is not only about being together, it's about staying together."

"I know, Bella," Alice agreed, looking between hers and mine, as if comparing. "I don't know why you never put this into the district art show."

I bit my lip and focused my attention back onto the drawing, trying to see it through their eyes. Maybe it was good because I paid such attention to detail? I mean, with the silence came the ability to notice the smallest things. I knew the picture I had taken was amazing, but my drawing itself? The only thing I really enjoyed was the quote underneath. Hopefully, Judith and Mary would love it, too.

But, there was no way in hell I was putting this in an art show. I wasn't _that _good.

"Oh, please," Alice said, reading off my face. "You're awesome at this Bella. You need to show off a little more."

I shook my head slowly, editing around their clothes a bit. "I don't like attention," I murmur quietly, lightly adding in a stitch I had missed.

"You're so strange, Bella Swan," she said with a sigh. "You could use a little attention…it might inspire you to dress up a bit more." You could really count on Alice to turn any conversation to something fashion related. "I mean, really, would it hurt to wear some flats or something? All you ever go out in is those sneakers…and they're not even the cute kind. And have you ever heard of a blouse? Come on now, maybe even a tank top. There's no way you always wore sweatshirts in Phoenix. And…" I shook my head and focused on my drawing, tuning out her babbling.

"Alice…babe…" Jasper started, knowing that once she really gets started, she may not be able to stop. "Get to work. Remember, this is due today."

"I don't see the point," Alice countered, tapping her own pencil against her own drawing. "When your best friend's picture is already making yours look like a pile of –"

"Alice!" Jasper reprimanded quietly.

"What?" she pouted. " I was _going _to say crap." I gave her a small smile, because she was so amusing sometimes, and she giggled at the look on Jasper's face. "Alright, alright, I'm starting."

Gratefully, she stopped talking and got to work. Almost at once, the world around me began to disappear as my pencil marked lightly upon the page. Not even the sound of lead against paper reached my ears as I, 'did what I do best'.

* * *

I was pissed.

Literally…_beyond _angry.

As I stomped off to my truck after school, grumbling about the messed up day I have been having, I couldn't help but glare at anyone who dare look me in the eye. Stupid people.

Stupid _Tanya_.

Mr. Cullen wasn't even here today, and she just decides to give me hell? Suddenly, she's going to go pushing and shoving – literally – for something _I didn't even do_? While Heidi was there, snickering in the background, of course. What's a villain without their minion, right? And all this time I had been thinking that bullying in the girl's locker room only ever happened in movies.

Wrong.

I climbed inside the truck and started the car, keeping a close eye out for Alice. Easily, I spotted her spiked head. She was walking with Jasper, hand-in-hand, to her car. With a goodbye kiss, she got in and waved at him as he went to his silver motorcycle. I pulled out the same time as her, then maneuvered behind her as she was about to leave the parking lot. She spotted me in her rearview mirror and waved enthusiastically, which I responded to with a forced smile.

"Follow?" she mouthed to me, and I nodded. I never knew which way to go to get to her house. There were always these confusing twists and turns as you made your way up to it, so I never bothered with memorizing the route to take. It was rare for me to be over at her house, anyways. And it was going to be a sleepover, too.

_Jessica and Lauren_, I shook my head at the thought, sympathizing for Alice. They were quite a pair, those two, when they were together. And to have them over at your house, spending the night, both pining for your brother. That would be absolute hell, in my opinion. Which was why, I guessed, she needed me over as well. I was something akin to moral support for her.

We started into the complicated bends, and I was careful through each turn.

Even though I had seen the house many times before, it still made me gasp every time when driving up to it. The three story, ageless house, painted a delicate white, was absolutely gorgeous. It was silhouetted by six, old and tall cedars and surrounded by a large front yard. I knew there was a river in the back, for Alice had taken me to see it before, so I knew they owned a lot of land.

I pulled into the driveway as opened the garage to park inside. As the garage door lifted, I caught a glimpse of silver, and my heart skipped a sudden beat. No other Cullen owned a silver car but him, I was sure. I turned my head quickly and paid attention to parking safely.

"Bella, come on!" Alice called, and I stepped out of my truck, grabbing my things – book bag, toiletries, pajamas – and heading up to meet her. "Mom and Dad are going to be _so _excited to see you. You're their favorite, you know."

I nodded, because I did know. Carlisle and Esme told me frequently when I'm over, and that usually turned me into a blushing mess. I didn't take compliments from adults that well. They were always so serious about things.

True to her word, the second I stepped into the door, I was swept into a large hug.

"Bella! Oh, you're here! I haven't seen you in ages, sweetheart! How have you been?" Esme gushed as I tried to return the embrace without dropping my things. She was so loving, so much like a second mother...that I was actually comfortable talking around her. She was beautiful too, soft looking.

"I'm good, Esme, thank you," I answered quietly, pulling back.

"Is that Bella, honey?" Came a male voice from the hallway. I smiled as Carlisle came in, grinning at me. He was handsome as well – just like every Cullen I knew – with his shimmering blonde hair and green eyes. It came to me, just then as he also pulled me into a hug, that their should be some kind of law against having a family this attractive. "Aw, Bella, we've missed you dearly."

"I've missed you all, too," I said as he stepped back.

"I'm so glad you accepted Alice's invitation to come over, Bella," Esme put an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. "This calls for a special dinner. You scarcely ever visit, you know," she scolded lightly.

"Oh, there's no need," I wanted to avoid something like that. There was no need to make a big deal over me.

"Yes there is. Would you like me to make your favorites, dear?"

My heart warmed at that, and I felt touched. She remembered my favorites?

Alice intercepted quickly as she saw the emotion flicker across my face. "Mom, you can do what you want. Bella needs to go upstairs and put her stuff away, 'kay?"

Esme frowned. "But she just got here, I want her to tell me more about herself. She's gotten so much more beautiful over the last time I've see her. Hasn't she, Carlisle?"

"She has," he agreed, making that blush come rushing to my cheeks. God damn them. If I didn't love them all so much, I would have ran from this embarrassment by now.

"Okay, Mom, Dad, we're going now," Alice rolled her eyes, pulling at my arm to go upstairs to her room. "She's as red as a tomato, now, you've done your job."

"Alice…" I mumbled, flushing even deeper. "You're not helping."

"Don't you, 'Alice', me," she muttered. "We barely have any time before Jessica and Lauren get here. If I want to talk to you alone, I need to do it now. Mom will probably call you to help her make dinner, anyways. I need my time with you, damn it."

"Sorry…"

Alice gave me a smile. "It's not your fault…it's everyone else's. If you weren't so damn mysterious and silent all the time, people wouldn't bother."

"If you're saying I'm 'so damn mysterious and silent all the time'," I murmured back. "Wouldn't that mean it's my fault?"

Her face turned dark as we reached her door. "Don't you get smart with me, Swan."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Pixie."

She laughed and pushed me into her room. Just like my room reflected me, Alice's did the same with her. Bright colors, lots of decoration, posters and photos adorning every part of the wall. Her room was her masterpiece.

I dumped my things onto the floor and flopped onto her king sized bed, Alice following soon after.

"So…" she started, shuffling closer until we were arm and arm. "What happened in P.E. yesterday?"

I sighed. "And today?"

She blinked. "Today, too?"

"Mhmm."

"Okay…I'm listening, Bella."

I squirmed, frowning. "There's no getting out of this, is there?"

She latched onto my elbow and giggled. "Nope. Shoot, Isabella."

There was a long pause where I didn't say anything, thinking about how I was going to start. When I began, she listened to my story intently.

I told her about yesterday, and I watched her face redden in anger. I patted her arm to calm her, but she waved it off dismissively, urging me to continue. When I reached to today, she was almost seething, and I hesitated on continuing.

"Just tell me, Bella," Alice fumed. "I'm fine."

I shook my head, biting my lip before going on. "I went into the locker room, and like yesterday, they were waiting for me.

"'Sad that Mr. Cullen isn't here today, Isabella? Everyone else is,' she said angrily. I tried to ignore her tone and go change, but she wouldn't have it. She stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

"'I could really care less,' I answered, trying to maneuver around her. But, again, she sidestepped into my path.

"'Don't you try to avoid me. I know you want him. Why else would you suddenly start talking like a normal person when he arrives?' I didn't answer her, mainly because…I didn't know the answer myself. But, it probably had nothing to do with Mr. Cullen, anyways," I added quickly when I saw the look on Alice's face. There's no way she had to know about my strange fascination with her brother.

"'Exactly,' she said smugly when I didn't say anything. 'You want him all for yourself, too.' I looked away, trying yet again to get to my locker. But, to evade my advances once more, she shoved my shoulder and I stumbled back. 'Well, you can't have him!'

"I fell to the floor, of course, tripping over my own feet. I heard Heidi's giggles in the background, and that just made everything much more worse than it was. Completely embarrassing.

"Tanya got back in my face, bending low so we were nearly nose to nose. 'He's mine,' she stated firmly, emphasizing each word. 'He belongs to me. Got it, Swan? You can't have him.' With another small push to my shoulder, she stepped around me and left the locker room. Heidi scuttled after her, sending an evil sneer my way as she left.

"I got up, muttering, 'I don't want him, so that was completely pointless,' as I did. I may have stayed quiet, but I was pissed." I turned to look at Alice, sighing. "Really pissed. Even when I was driving up here I was still made. But…seeing Carlisle and Esme made it better."

Alice's angry face softened slightly at my final words, and she scooted up so she could lay her head on my shoulder. "You should have told me sooner, Bella. Jasper and I would have been there for you."

I bit my lip. "I didn't want to bother you guys."

"Bella, honestly," she shook her head. "We're your best friends. We're _supposed _to be there for you." She sat up suddenly. "Speaking of which, I'm walking you to P.E. from now on, straight into the locker room." She looked determined, and her eyes were bright and protective. Most people would think that with her size, that she wouldn't be able to do anything. But, if she tried, Alice could be very intimidating. Scary, even.

"Alice, really, that's not necessa –"

I was cut off when her door opened.

"Alice?" I would recognize that absurdly beautiful voice anywhere, my eyes flickered quickly to the entrance. "Have you seen my phone? I thought I left it on the counter, but it's not there."

And then he walked in.

And my breath stopped, my brain freezing.

There he was. Mr. Cullen himself.

And, God help me…

He was shirtless.

* * *

A/N: My brother said I was cruel for leaving it off right here :S. But I was just like, "Meh, I'm tired." XD

Review? :3


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: _OMG. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw I got 11 reviews for the last chapter :3 (it may not be a big deal for some people, but it was for me XD)_

_Thank you LoveRob, xXcaiteeXx, oX Pixie Girl Xo, LOVE IS A GIFT, twidorkxx, pranksin4life, Brilliantsunshinewarrior12, xXAngelxOfxDeathXx, laguna2tahoe, Powermouse and AlyssAlice for the reviews! :D _

**Disclaimer: You know...I don't really see the point in these. I'm pretty sure EVERYONE knows I'm NOT Stephenie Meyer, so no, I DON'T own Twilight. ): **_  
_

* * *

Previously...

"_Alice?" I would recognize that absurdly beautiful voice anywhere, my eyes flickered quickly to the entrance. "Have you seen my phone? I thought I left it on the counter, but it's not there."_

_And then he walked in._

_And my breath stopped, my brain freezing._

_There he was. Mr. Cullen himself._

_And, God help me…_

_He was shirtless.

* * *

_

I couldn't think, I couldn't breath, every part of me had literally stopped working the moment he had walked in…_half-naked_.

The sight of him without a shirt did things to me that I couldn't even understand. I was absolutely flustered. His toned, muscular chest and stomach were completely bare, with a pare of sweats hanging low on his hips. It was obvious that he just came from a shower, because his hair was still dark and wet, dripping water down his shoulders, back and front. My eyes, of their own accord, watched the droplets as they traveled downward on his person, observing as they reached his waistband and were absorbed into the light material.

And it all happened within a split second of him coming in.

"Edward!" Alice squealed out his name, standing up. "Put some clothes on, I have a guest, damn it!"

Edward?

His name was Edward?

Edward Cullen…

That was…perfect for him. The old-fashioned name went well with his classically chiseled features. Features, I must admit, I was still ogling. _Damn _him.

And damn Alice for saying she had a guest, because then his green eyes flickered over to meet mine. I was already having trouble breathing, did he really have to go and do that? Honestly, it was like he had no idea what he did to some people.

"Oh, hello Bella," he smiled crookedly, and my heart froze along with everything else. It made it worse, knowing he _remembered _my name and decided to use it. I felt a bit dizzy the moment 'Bella' rolled off his tongue like smooth velvet. And he was acting like there was nothing wrong with him standing there, bared-chested, in the same room with a previous student of his.

I forced myself to look away – which took _a lot _of willpower, on my part – and switched my gaze over to the wall. "Hello, Mr. Cullen," I said in my normal hushed volume, sounding much more casual and nonchalant than I was feeling at the moment.

"I haven't seen your phone, Edward," Alice spoke up, shooing him with her hands. "Now, please, put a shirt on before Jessica and Lauren get here. You've already have Bella all flustered."

"Have I now?" He sent another glance my way, but I was too busy glaring daggers at Alice to notice.

Alice snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. She'd freeze over any guy walking around shirtless. She's absolutely innocent."

I sucked in a breath, feeling the heat in my cheeks intensify. While part of her statement was true – I certainly was extremely innocent, the only romance I've ever witnessed were in my books, and those were only words – I wasn't sure any other guy could leave me frozen, speechless, brain dead and breathless all at one time. That particular spot was for Mr. Cullen to keep.

He chuckled at that, and I refused to look at him. This was _beyond _embarrassing for me.

"So you haven't seen my phone anywhere?" he asked, finally lifting his eyes off me and focusing back on Alice.

"Nope," she answered. "But, you probably left it in the car." He didn't reply. "You know, the new one?" Still silence, and her voice grew more irritated. "The Volvo…it's _silver_?" I could practically sense his amusement rolling off of him like waves as he watched her frustration. I couldn't help the smile the quirked my lips. "You parked it in the garage. _Our_ garage. Downstai – just check the damn car, Edward!" she yelled, throwing a pillow at him.

He dodged it, smirking. "Sure, Alice, I'll check the car." He paused. "Which one was it, again?"

Another pillow thrown, and he was out the door, bare chest and all, laughing the whole way. I finally looked up at Alice.

"Ugh," she grumbled, stomping her foot. "He can be so _irritating _sometimes."

"He's not that bad," I said softly, smiling at her.

"Ha," she waggled her finger at me, giving me a dangerous look. "Don't think I missed that little smirk of yours, Swan."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," I admonished calmly. With him gone, and my entire equilibrium back in check, I got up to retrieve the pillows she had thrown. I couldn't help but notice the wet spots on the carpet, which, of course, had to fill my mind with the thoughts of a wet Mr. Cullen. I was sure the rosy red coloring of my face returned with that.

After I put the pillows back on her bed, with Alice watching me warily, the doorbell had rung. She cursed, and I giggled.

"Alice! Your friends!" Esme called from downstairs. There was a strange note to Esme's voice, but I couldn't quite catch what it was.

Alice smacked her forehead, then looked at me witheringly. "Are you ready for them?"

"I'm never ready for those two," I answered, sitting back on her bed. Hopefully, she didn't notice how quickly I had spoken, or that I was slightly out of breath. What the thoughts of her brother was doing to me right now…she had no idea.

There was the sudden sound of people running up the stairs, and I looked toward the door again. Esme had probably sent them up when Alice didn't come down.

"Ali-boo!" Jessica called as she burst through the door, Lauren right behind her. "We have arrived!" I stared at the both of them, resisting the urge to gape.

What were they _wearing_?

Whatever it was…there was skin. Lots of skin.

Jessica had on a tight pink tank top that had a _very _generous neckline, with nothing else to cover her arms. It wouldn't have been that bad, really, if it weren't for the bright blue bra nearly visible. She had a short, sky-high jean skirt with a frayed hemline, and heels to top it off. Lauren was nearly in the same thing, except her top was purple and she had on black ankle boots. They both had heavy makeup, in my opinion. A good amount of eyeliner and lip-gloss, and Jessica had cover-up over the pimple I recall hearing her complaining about at lunch today.

It was completely ridiculous.

They reminded me of _clowns_.

Alice didn't say anything for a moment, probably as shocked as I was, but recovered herself quicker than I was able to.

"Hey, you guys!" she said, plastering a smile on her face. "Glad you could make it."

I could tell she really wasn't, you could see it was all over her face if you paid attention like I did. She was, like me, well aware that they were only here for one thing. And that was for her brother.

"So are we," Jessica said, fluffing her already fluffy, curly mass of hair. "We almost decided not to come…a lot of homework and stuff. School is really important and all…but like you said, friends are first priority!" She said this unnaturally loud, and it took me a second to figure out why.

She wanted Mr. Cullen to hear.

It was kind of obvious, actually.

When did Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory ever get serious about _school_?

I rolled my eyes, and they both came to sit on the bed, flanking me.

"So…" Jessica started, and I closed my eyes, guessing what was going to come from her mouth, next. "Where's that sexy, gorgeous man you call a brother?"

Bingo.

* * *

"Bella, honey, can you stir this, please?"

I took the wooden spoon from Esme and began stirring the beef she had put in as she went off to chop some tomatoes.

About ten minutes ago, I had safely escaped Jessica and Lauren. Thankfully, Esme had come up for my rescue, asking me to help her with the dinner. We were, indeed, making one of my favorites. Her Beef and Parmesan pasta. I felt bad for leaving Alice up there all alone with the two of them, but Esme didn't need her help. Between the three of us, we knew she had no skill in culinary at all.

Once the beef was no longer pink, I poured it into the strainer Esme had ready at the sink. She smiled at me as I did this, and I put the skillet back onto the stove.

"Excellent," she said, coming over with the chopped tomatoes and setting them near the skillet. "Now, just add the beef stock, these tomatoes, and the pasta. We have to let it boil for about ten minutes…and don't forget to stir."

"Yes, ma'am," I did what I was told, starting to mix everything together. "When does the beef go back in?" I asked, stirring the pasta in slowly.

"Once the noodles are tender," she answered, cutting the zucchini. "But this has to go in first."

"Okay," I left it uncovered, and made sure the pasta never got stuck to the bottom of the skillet. My father has made the mistake many times before, and it was something I wanted to avoid. That, and his cooking in general.

"Thank you, dear, for the help. God knows I can't be three places at once."

"I'm sure everyone knows that, Mom."

The wooden spoon stilled in my hand as I tensed, hearing that tantalizingly perfect, melodic voice.

_He_ was in the kitchen.

"Oh! Edward, don't startle me like that!"

His pleasing laughter filled the kitchen, sending a shiver through me.

Damn it! Couldn't he see I was trying to _cook_? I couldn't do that while he was here!

"Sorry, Mom, but I needed a drink."

I bit my lip, my eyes flickering over to the fridge – which was _right _next to me – on their own will.

Mr. Cullen had it open, and was peering inside. His hair was dry now, it's normal shimmering, messy bronze. And, thank you Lord, he had a shirt on. Though, it was only a light gray wife beater, and my pulse raced suddenly at the sight of his bare, muscular arm holding the fridge door open. He still had on those sweats, too, as if he were purposefully trying to drive me crazy.

"I hope you plan on putting something more appropriate," Esme scolded as she took in his appearance. "Alice's friends _are _staying the night."

"I'm well aware," he told her, straightening up after pulling out a coke. Immediately, after registering that someone was near him, his eyes flashed over to me, and he smiled. "Hello again, Bella."

"Mr. Cullen," I said, his greeting to me making my hand tighten on the wooden spoon.

Which was_ supposed_ to be stirring the noodles.

But _someone _had to come in and distract me.

Esme laughed lightly as I focused back to what I was doing. "Mr. Cullen?" she asked. "Has he subbed for you, Bella dear?"

I nodded. "Chemistry," Mr. Cullen and I said at the same time, and I flushed.

"Bella was…particularly amusing, yesterday," Mr. Cullen said, leaning against the counter. The counter between the stove and the fridge. The counter that was _very _close to me. So close, that our elbows were nearly touching. Did he realize this proximity was making it difficult for me to breath?

"How so?" Esme wiped her hands onto her apron once she was done cutting.

My cheeks were getting redder by the second, but I refused to glare at him for telling something Esme didn't have to know. Glaring meant looking, and looking always turned into ogling. Ogling would possibly get me caught, and getting caught would raise the embarrassment levels. Which was something I couldn't handle very well.

"She was being smart," he said with a low chuckle, the comment making my eyes narrow.

I couldn't help it.

"I wasn't being 'smart'," I argued, still not looking at him. "I was just telling the truth. Heidi was in my seat, and you _did _know where it was."

"But, that doesn't mean you couldn't have asked her to move before the bell rang," he rebuked.

"True, but asking her to move won't _make _her move, Mr. Cullen."

"Did you ask?" he asked skeptically.

"No," I replied honestly. "But, knowing her, she wouldn't have moved under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

Woops.

I really shouldn't have said that.

"Er…uh…" I swallowed. "Never mind. It's not important." Before he could interrupt, I cut him off. "But trust me, Mr. Cullen, she would not have moved. Unless, of course, _you _told her to."

"Whatever you say, Miss Swan," I hadn't realized – until he said that – that he had leaned a bit closer to me during the argument. His head was dipped nearer to mine, because he was taller, and I could see the hint of his jaw and bronze hair in my peripherals.

"You two are so amusing to watch," Esme commented, laughing. "Student and teacher, arguing over something as trivial as that. Bella, the zucchini?" She handed them to me, and I gratefully too them to stir in with the pasta and tomatoes.

"You cook?" he asked me, mercifully backing away a little to give me space to do what I had to.

I tilted my head to the side, surprised I was having a coherent conversation with him. "Occasionally," I answered slowly, almost timidly. "It's…something I enjoy doing every once-in-a-while."

"She's a lot of help when I need her," Esme put in while washing her hands. "Bella, dear, you can put in the beef now. I'll set up that table."

"I've got it," Mr. Cullen said before I could go get it myself. He placed a hand on my shoulder as a signal for me to stay where I was, and I immediately went immobile at his touch. He brought over the beef, smiling. "You just keep stirring, I'll put it in little by little."

"Alright…" even to me, my voice sounded small and meek, but I forced my hand to stir the spoon around.

As he lifted the strainer to pour the beef in, he got impossibly close. Suddenly, I felt him almost _everywhere_. The heat of his body took over my surroundings as he reached his arm around me. And very lightly, as he tipped the strainer over, his chest pressed against my back. Thinking straight was becoming increasingly difficult, and my heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest. Each time he would empty the beef into the skillet, his body, so barely covered by the light material he wore, would just slightly be against mine. The muscles of his chest felt hard, firm, and that fact alone brought the pink to my cheeks.

I was surprised that I was able to stir with the correct motion, though my hand was shaking somewhat. When it was all in, and he pulled back to put the strainer back into the sink, I drew in a quiet, unsteady breath.

But it wasn't over just yet.

Mr. Cullen leaned in – taking a whiff of the meal – until he was within my line of sight. I was to shocked to back away, so I stayed where I was.

"It smells delicious," he admired softly, lifting his lovely green eyes until they met mine. In that moment, as our eyes connected in such a small amount of space between us, something inside me sparked.

No…sparked wasn't the right word.

Something burst into flames.

My whole body suddenly went warm as that famous crooked smile of his tilted his lips up. I had no idea if he felt it too, but then his eyes casted down a little as he studied me. His gaze grew incredibly intense, and the tattoo rhythm of my heart never let up.

What…was…he…looking…for?

"You guys…that smells _amazing_!"

The trance was broken as Lauren's voice snapped it in two. Mr. Cullen backed away faster than I could from him, because I was careful not to knock over the pasta. I moved to the side and pressed quickly against the counter, and he moved all the way to the sink. My breathing, I hadn't noticed, had turned hard.

"Bella, did you make this? Esme said you – oh, _hi _Mr. Cullen," Jessica appeared from behind Lauren, playing a bit with her hair.

"Girls," Mr. Cullen acknowledged, more composed than I, making another smaller feeling of warmth travel through me. He didn't remember their names, clearly…but he remembered _mine_. And there was absolutely no reaction to their outrageous outfits, either. Though, they were evidently loving his.

"Ooo, are you eating, too?" she asked, and I couldn't help but roll her eyes at the question. He was _family_, wasn't he?

"I am," he answered politely. "But, if you'll excuse me…I should change into something more…" he eyed their clothing with obvious distaste, and I smiled. "Appropriate." He was stepping around the two, but before leaving, he sent me another one of those crooked grins. "Bella."

I nodded him off, "Mr. Cullen." He left with a small chuckle, though I was still confused about what Lauren had just interrupted…whatever it was.

"He knows your name?" Jessica asked, shocked. "Like, your real name?"

"Yes," I murmured.

"How?"

I shrugged, and she grumbled.

"Some people just have all the luck," Lauren muttered, running a hand through her hair, irritated. "Why doesn't he know _my _name?"

"Jessica. Lauren," A voice snapped, and in came Alice, who looked annoyed. "My mom sent you to _get _Bella, not harass her. Honestly, as if she knew the answer to everything."

At times like this I really wish I did. I would be much more less confused when it came to her absolutely dazzling brother.

"I'm supposed to serve everything out, though," I said, motioning towards the pasta.

"Mom will do it," Alice said with a roll of her eyes, taking my arm. "Now come on. I'm hungry."

I followed after her, Jessica and Lauren following close behind. As we all sat at the table, Esme moving back to the kitchen to put everything on a plate, I couldn't help but realize there was only two places for Mr. Cullen to sit when he came down.

Beside Lauren, who seemed elated to have an empty seat near her. Or…

By me. Even though I was sure he was going to sit beside me – because I'm positive both Jessica and Lauren freak him out a bit – I couldn't help but feel…

Excited.

* * *

A/N: _Okay, so now my brother said, "You know...it's only because you left him shirtless. Everyone flipped out because he was shirtless."_

_And I just said, "Well, duh! It's a shirtless frickin' Edward! What more could you want?" XD_

_Review? :3  
_


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: _Me is SOOOOO sowwy! 3: This update is so LATE DX I apologize, but my computer got a virus. And so my uncle had to fix it ): But...the good news is that...I updated? So...I'm back now? (: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME D: I LOVE YOU ):  
_

_Oh, and while I'm at it...23 reviews? Jeremiah JONES, and I thought 11 was a heart attack! I flipped in my seat when I saw that. (: You guys ROCK. I want to thank Powermouse, PiecesOfMyHeartAreMissingYou, Jasiless, twilighter0398, jerseyhalliwell, ThatGreen-EyedGirl, karatekid917, Raine daggars, Brilliantsunshinewarrior12, purpletwilightgoddess, ZaHl, Zahl17, chaz21, laguna2tahoe, waterman144, Delanie, hotchadobsessed, Quiet and Complicated, Alicee, angle eyes 000 and dion for REVIEWING :3 _

_And uh, there's just a few I chose to respond to real quick XD_

_**laguna2tahoe:** I LOVED your ideas (: But this chapter was already written in my journal. Yet...let's just say I tucked one of them away for later use? (;_

_**waterman144: **No, I'm not the type that demands reviews (: Frankly, I feel lucky knowing people are READING this XD Reviews are just the extra cherry on top :D _

_**Quiet and Complicated: **You know...when I'm too lazy...I have my brother read my reviews for me. Well...he read yours XD So, I was sitting on my bed, and he was on the computer and said, "This...has got to be the most _well thought out _review I have ever read." I couldn't help but agree with him (: Thank you :D  
_

* * *

_"I'm supposed to serve everything out, though," I said, motioning towards the pasta._

_"Mom will do it," Alice said with a roll of her eyes, taking my arm. "Now come on. I'm hungry."_

_I followed after her, Jessica and Lauren following close behind. As we all sat at the table, Esme moving back to the kitchen to put everything on a plate, I couldn't help but realize there was only two places for Mr. Cullen to sit when he came down._

_Beside Lauren, who seemed elated to have an empty seat near her. Or…_

_By me. Even though I was sure he was going to sit beside me – because I'm positive both Jessica and Lauren freak him out a bit – I couldn't help but feel…_

_Excited.

* * *

_

The dinner was going well.

Conversation flowed easily throughout the table, and the food, in my own opinion, was delicious. Alice and Esme knew how to carry the perfect topic, and were both talking constantly. I even put in my own comments every once-in-a-while, smiling and laughing with everyone else. Lauren and Jessica's level of bickering was brought down to a more suitable level...and everyone was just in a _good _mood. Cheerful. Friendly. Yet...I knew it could be going so much better.

If only I wasn't so on_ edge_.

Behind my smiles and laughter, there was a girl about to explode from tension. And it was because of _him_.

Mr. Cullen sat mere inches from me, dressed in clothes that affected me in a way I could never understand. The moment he walked through the dining room doorway, he had captured my unwilling attention. Wearing a light blue button down shirt and jeans – and could this man _really _pull off a pair of jeans – my mind nearly shut down. He had been busy buttoning up the last three top buttons of his shirt, and for a split second, I had seen the chiseled chest I had been able to glimpse at so freely earlier in Alice's room. And, of course, a blush swept up so fast that there was no way to stop it. Then, as if I couldn't get any more redder, he sat beside me. He didn't even have to think about it, didn't stop to contemplate his choice. He looked up for just a moment, saw the empty chair beside me, and sat down, sending that smile my way.

Now, throughout the dinner, just the sheer knowledge that he was there, within _touching _distance, would scramble my thoughts. It came to the point where it had even interrupted my laughter, and I nearly choked. Luckily, it was my own spit, and not food. There was no need for further embarrassment on my part. I've had enough of that certain emotion for the day.

"This is excellent, Bella," Carlisle commented, snapping me from my musing.

I looked up, confused, raising my brows in question.

"The food," he clarified, lifting a fork with pasta twirled around it. "It's wonderful."

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you," I murmured. "But, Esme was the one who told me what to do. It was all her."

"Nonsense!" Esme laughed. "Don't be so humble, dear. You did all the work."

"She's always humble, Mom, you know that," Alice teased me, winking in my direction, and I rolled my eyes at her. "She never knows when to pat herself on the back."

"Maybe I can't reach," I said, tossing a tomato in my mouth.

"Yeah," Alice rebuked smoothly. "That's why other people always do it _for you_."

Laughter traveled around the table, and I shook my head at all of them. Ganging up on someone was rude.

"The food _is _excellent, Bella," Mr. Cullen said next to me. As an automatic response, I turned to look at him, and clenched my teeth when that crooked smile flashed across his face. "And, regardless of what my mother _told _you to do, I _saw_ you make it."

Before I could retort, Jessica and Lauren's sudden, raucous laughter cut me off. My eyes moved to see them laughing in an annoying, exaggerated kind of way. I grimaced.

"Oh, Mr. Cullen sure got _you_, Bella." Jessica giggled outrageously.

"He sure did," Lauren agreed, simpering at him.

I flickered my gaze to gauge Mr. Cullen's reaction of the two, and I – as much as I wouldn't want to admit it – felt relieved to see he looked quite uncomfortable. He gave them a small, half-smile, then turned to look down at his food with a disinterested expression. I studied his face much longer than I should have, crossing the 'casual glance' line as my eyes trailed over the perfect features that always stirred up something so unfamiliar to me. It wasn't until the smirk passed over his face, and I saw him peeking at me through the corner of his eyes, did I realize he knew that I was observing him. And so, flushing scarlet, I refocused on finishing my own food.

But, the world hates me. So that part didn't go very well.

As a part of my reaction to my own tensed nerves, _my _fork, of course, had to be the one that would glance right off my fingertips, and clatter to the ground. The chatter around the table was too loud for anyone to notice, thankfully, but I was still angry at my own clumsiness. Mentally belittling myself for my lousy fingers, I reached down to pick it back up.

Only to have my hand come into contact with someone else's pale, slender fingertips.

My brain had already registered who it was before I looked up to see the startling green eyes. And, for some strange reason that I could not fathom...I didn't pull my hand away. Or maybe..._could not _pull my hand away was a better description. When our hands connected, something between me and him began flowing. It seemed to surge before both of us, if I was reading the surprise in his eyes correctly, and I couldn't bring my hand back to myself. And that same heat, the one that had bursted inside me back in the kitchen, started to slowly burn in the pit of my stomach and inside my chest again.

What was he _doing _to me?

"Drop something, Bella?" he asked, his voice soothing and soft to my ears. The crooning melody of it didn't break the nearly tangible connection.

I nodded, biting my lip at the fire that was ablaze inside me.

Underneath my fingers, I felt his own close around the fork. Turning the fist over, he opened it. "Here," he murmured, pushing it into my hand.

I grabbed hold of it instantly, but he still didn't move away. "Th-Thank you." I managed to say.

He gave me another one of those special, crooked smiles. A smile that he seems to only give me. "No problem," he said, then pulled his hand back, straightening in his chair.

And just like that, my current surroundings came back at full volume, and the connection was gone.

I clenched my hand around the fork and did the same as him. Setting the fork back onto the table, I tried to unscramble my dazed thoughts. This man confused me constantly. There were moments where I thought he had no idea how he affected me, and then there were times where it seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing. The mixed signals were nearly driving me insane and...I didn't even have any idea to how I should respond to them! I mean...he's a _substitute_, an_ adult_ for crying out loud! He was, what? Twenty-four? Twenty-five? I was only eighteen! Legally an adult...but still, I wasn't even out of high school. And, even if he _were _to be interested – though I was sure that was just my mind going crazy – why _would _he be? There was nothing remotely interesting about me, compared to him. He was gorgeous, mysterious and brilliant. I was, what? An artist? I could...paint and draw? And sure, I had a 4.0 GPA, but so did a lot of other students in Forks. There was no reason for him to pinpoint me, a normal Plain Jane, out of all the others. Especially the more beautiful, better-dressed, more wealthy ones. I did not fit anywhere in his, nor their, world.

We could never be compatible under _any_ circumstance...

* * *

"Bella!" Alice squealed, landing on her bed beside me after dinner had been finished. I had realized, after the fork incident, that no one had noticed the whole 'Mr. Cullen and I' exchange. Carlisle had gone back to the kitchen for seconds, Esme and Alice had been talking animatedly, and Lauren and Jessica were having a small squabble over something that was probably trivial. Luck had been in my favor, then.

"Yes, Alice?" I turned on my side to face her, propping my head on my hand.

She giggled, excited. "Mom and Dad are giving us the living room tonight!" She shot up, latching onto my arm and pulling me with her. "So get your stuff, we're moving down there!" I staggered when she let go, suddenly sprinting out the door. "Lauren, Jess!" she called, disappearing from my view.

I listened to her quick departure, then grumbled something about pixies on crack. I gathered all my things into my arms and started making my way to the living room.

Alice was already there by the time I got down, underneath their large, flat-screen television digging through the Cullen DVD collection. Which was...pretty impressive. She had thrown out some onto the carpet, then turned to face me.

"Okay, Bella...romantic comedy or _horror_?" she asked, her eyes darting through the top fifteen she had laying in front of her.

"Romantic comedy," I answered immediately. There was no need for a sleepless night. Regardless of this slumber party.

Alice pouted theatrically, picking up the eight scary movies and tossing them, without organizing, back into the shelf. She spread out the seven left. "You're no fun, ya know," she said.

"I don't like screaming," I replied, plopping my things onto the ground. I took out my sleeping bag and started rolling it out. "Or whimpering."

"Jessica and Lauren," Alice nodded her head. "Alright then, no horror."

"Speaking of them," I patted down the sleeping bag, then reached into my bag to take out my tooth brush and pajamas. "Are they done with the bathroom?"

Alice turned on the television with a frown. "I hope so. At least they're changing out of those ridiculous outfits. I'm surprised my mom even let them _inside_." she switched on the DVD player. "If they're not, tell them to hurry up. I want to start the movie," she lifted up the one she had chosen. "And you still need to get changed."

"So do you," I countered.

She rolled her eyes. "I have my own room to change in."

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled, heading to the bathroom downstairs, the one Lauren was occupying. I knocked on the door lightly. "Lauren?"

There was some clattering on the counter. "Hmm...yes, Bella?"

"Are you done?"

"One second!"

I leaned against the wall, waiting. But, like I had said before, I wasn't a very patient person when it came to people...so when the 'one second' turned into five minutes, I wanted to kick the door down.

"Alright, Bella, I'm done," I breathed a sigh of relief, leaning my head back. "Now...what do you think Mr. Cullen will think of _this_?"

The door was slammed back, making me jump, and Lauren pranced out.

And I gaped at her like I did earlier today.

She wore a sheer, nearly transparent, thigh-length nightgown that gave a full-on view of..._everything_. Her bright undergarments were completely visible, and every part of her body was laid out to see. Lace decorated the collar and hem. And it was, possibly, the most sluttish piece of clothing I had ever seen.

"Well?"

I blinked, looking back up to her face. Which, I couldn't believe, was still heavily done up. "What?"

"Mr. Cullen," she said, twirling. I forced back a shudder. "Don't you think he'll _love _it?"

_Not likely_, I thought. I sighed quietly, then smiled. "You know I'm not one to ask. Why don't you ask Jessica?"

She squealed, "That's _brilliant_, Bella!" she ran passed me. "Ooo, she's gonna be so _jealous_."

Once she was gone, I hurried into the bathroom and locked the door.

Unbelievable! You would think, that if she paid attention, she would _know _that little outfit wouldn't work? I was sure, by now, that Mr. Cullen wasn't attracted to whores. Or anything whore-like. It wasn't like I knew his type; I was just positive that what Lauren was doing, or what Jessica was _sure _to be copying, was not it. He was more...complicated than that. He was no simple man. He was...elegant, in his own way. Smart. Attractive...

Shaking my head, I stripped down and started putting on my pajamas, trying to take my mind off him. The pajamas consisted of sweats and a dark blue tank top, nothing fancy. After brushing my teeth and pulling my hair up in a ponytail, I headed back out. In the living room, I found that Alice was still alone. The lights were off, she was changed into her pink, silk sleeping garments, and I could hear the popping of popcorn coming from the microwave in the kitchen.

"Jessica and Lauren?" I asked, settling down beside her.

"Arguing," she answered with a grimace. "About what Lauren has on."

"Ugh, they're lucky Esme is in the room. And that it's dark in here." I said.

"You know what I realized?" Alice asked suddenly, turning her head to look at me.

"Huh?"

She smiled softly. "You've been talking a lot."

Have I? I frowned at that, looking away from her.

"It's nice," she said, looking back at the television. It was muted, and some reality show was on. "I'm not used to it...it just hit me after you left to change and everything. But it's...it's nice hearing you talk."

I didn't say anything, deciding on memorizing the pattern on my pillowcase instead.

"I had a feeling that if I said something, you would probably stop talking." she giggled. "But I just wanted to tell you that...I like the sound of your voice. You should use it more."

I nodded, still not looking up. "Thank you."

"Okay, you guys, we've _solved _the problem!" Jessica's voice came from up the stairs. "Are you ready?"

Alice groaned quietly. "Are _you _ready, Bella?" she asked.

I looked up, and we exchanged tired smiles. "As ready as I'll ever be when it comes too those two," I whispered back.

"Alright..." she lifted her head. "Ready!"

After a few seconds, Jessica was the first to appear.

She had on a blood red silk tank top, and it ended a few inches below her chest. The shortest of black cotton shorts adorned her legs, and she had on _stockings_. To _sleep in_. Her wild, curly hair had been somewhat tamed with clip, and they bounced only a bit as she skipped down the stairs. The skimpy outfit was nearly as bad as Lauren's.

Lauren came down after, the only difference was that her hair was put up into pigtails. She smiled happily at her friend, and they linked arms at the doorway of the living room.

"What do you guys think?" Jessica asked, hip-bumping Lauren. "Totally hot, right?"

I was pretty sure those two did _not _want to know what Alice and I were thinking now. So, instead, Alice fibbed. Something I hated doing, and she knew that.

"You both look _gorgeous_," she complimented smoothly, patting a sot beside her. "Now, can we _please_ watch the movie. Bella, can you get the popcorn?"

I stood up as they walked over to lay beside Alice. "Of course." We shared a secret, amused glanced, then I left to get it.

When I returned, the popcorn in a large bowl, the previews were playing. I put the bowl in front of them, then settled in. Once the movie started, everyone got quiet.

Until the male lead came in...and I wanted to throw both Lauren and Jessica out the window.

"Channing Tatum is..._scrumptious_." Jessica said, scooting closer to the screen.

Lauren snorted. "Is _not_. He's got the _weirdest _nose."

"_What_? His nose is _perfect_."

"Nuh uh. It's shaped weird."

"Maybe to _you_. How can you not like him? Have you..._seen _his body?"

"So? That body doesn't make up for his ugly face."

"His face is amazing! Look at his _eyes_."

"...I heard he was gay."

Jessica almost growled. "Lauren, I swear to _God_."

Alice sighed and looked at me, and I shook my head. Two more hours of this before sleep.

_Great.

* * *

_

The sound of their porch door being opened, and someone stepping out, was what woke me.

My eyes snapped open, and I felt a cool breeze across my toes that made me sit up quickly. I knew it wasn't air conditioning – because who in Forks used _air conditioning_ – so that meant something was up. It was nearly pitch black, except for the sliver of light that came from the moon peeping in through the curtains. Under the small ray, I could see that everyone around me was still fast asleep. And, checking the clock on the DVD player, it was three in the morning.

Who was going outside at three in the morning?

I grumbled, agitated, and rubbed my eyes. The cold air swept passed me again, and I shivered. The person didn't even have the decency to close the _door_. I got up, stepping carefully around everyone's snoozing bodies, and made my way over to the billowing curtains, dead set on closing the door and cutting off this freezing breeze. But, when I reached it, the sight of the sky stopped me.

The stars were..._gorgeous_.

The sky was the deepest of blues, nearly black, and the stars were speckled brightly across. They were all twinkling in a way that I had never observed before, so aglow that they practically called to me. When I squinted, they pulsed. And I was mesmerized.

I had stepped out onto the porch without even realizing it, staring only at the beautiful sky. It's ability to hold my attention reminded me very much so of a certain, bronze-haired man I knew. It wasn't until I felt the soft grass beneath my toes, did I notice I was, in fact, outside.

"Oh!" I gasped. I was, indeed, surprised by my own actions. Wasn't I supposed to be closing the door? Not out here...star gazing? And it wasn't very smart for me to be out so late, who knew what could happen if some stranger were to –

"Bella?"

I almost screamed. If it weren't for the fact that he was _right there_, and I was able to recognize him fast, I probably would have.

Mr. Cullen was sitting on a blanket, only about three feet away, gazing at me with a confused expression on his face. He wore only pajama pants and an old T-shirt, the look making him seem almost teen-like. Nearly my age.

And it was distracting as hell, too.

"M-Mr. Cullen?" I squeaked, unable to hide my shock. Why was he out here? At this time of night?

He ran a hand through his hair, studying me with his emerald eyes. "Why are you out here?" he asked.

"You forgot to close the door," I answered quickly, biting my lip. "I heard the door open...and then the cold wind kind of..." My voice trailed off, thoughts going this way and that when he was around.

"Oh, I apologize..." he looked back up at the sky, as if he were deciding on something.

Was I supposed to be standing here? ...Did his silence mean I should leave and go inside?

Just as I was about to turn around, though, he looked back to me, smiling crookedly.

"Join me?" he offered, gesturing a hand over the blanket.

"What?" God! Why was my voice so high?

He chuckled softly at my reaction, the melodic sound reaching my ears and warming me, then scooted a bit over. "Watch the stars with me, Bella?"

He was...asking me...? Why was it suddenly, so hot out here? My breathing hitched in my throat as I looked down at him, and my heart decided to pound.

"I...I..."

He smiled, that one smile he always saves just for me. "Please?"

And it snapped my reserve. "...a-alright."

* * *

A/N: _So who saw ECLIPSE? XD Man, best PREMIERE EVER :D I won a shirt, two pens, a bottle and a keychain! :D Luuurved the movie. Totally thought it beat out Twilight and New Moon, though there were those book-movie mistakes. But, those are always present :S Nothing could be helped -_- But I still LOVED it :D What say you? (:_

_Review? :3 _

**-Sapphire**_  
_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: See? I really am back, 'cause this chapter came up _way _earlier than the last one XD Again, sorry about that, you guys (: _

_Thank you for the reviews, they really make my day :D _

_Umm...and **I have a question** XD_

**Some people have brought up chapters in 'Edward's POV'...should I do it? Or should I just stick with Bella POV?**_ /: _

_Please give me your thoughts on this :D  
_

* * *

_Previously..._

_"Join me?" he offered, gesturing a hand over the blanket._

_"What?" God! Why was my voice so high?_

_He chuckled softly at my reaction, the melodic sound reaching my ears and warming me, then scooted a bit over. "Watch the stars with me, Bella?"_

_He was...asking me...? Why was it suddenly, so hot out here? My breathing hitched in my throat as I looked down at him, and my heart decided to pound._

_"I...I..."_

_He smiled, that one smile he always saves just for me. "Please?"_

_And it snapped my reserve. "...a-alright."

* * *

_

"Are you making the eggs, Bella?"

I looked over at Alice, who's hair was still sticking up in all random directions, as she opened the fridge. She peeked inside, squinting her eyes as the bright light burst out at her.

"Of course I am," I answered. "I'm the only one her who _can_." It was morning, and Carlisle and Esme had already gone off to work. Since Esme was gone, I was sure the only one who could make breakfast, without the risk of burning the house down, was me.

"Edward cooks, too," she said in an offhand way, closing the fridge. "Bacon?"

I nodded my head, already lost in thought, as she placed the bacon onto the counter for me. Her brother cooks? That was a more...feminine thing for him. But, the image of him in the kitchen, cooking, _bare chested – _why? I had no idea. It seems as though that image of him refused to leave, I presume. Stupid, hormonal teenage mind of mine – was not girly at all. And, as a result of that unwelcome thought, I nearly burnt myself.

"Careful," Alice said when I pulled my hand away with a hiss. "Aren't you supposed to be the professional?"

"Shut it," I grumbled at her, reaching forward again to flip the egg. "Jessica and Lauren still asleep?"

Alice sat on the counter beside the stove, smiling. "Yep."

I nodded, putting the finished egg on a plate, then got ready to crack another. I wasn't really surprised at her answer, even though it was nearly noon. Jessica and Lauren always slept in on the weekends. It wasn't like I slept over enough with them that I would _know_, but whenever Alice made plans, the time always had to be set around three in the afternoon because of them.

"Hey," Alice said as she leaned against the cupboard behind her. "That reminds me...where were you last night?"

I froze for a moment, the egg crackling a bit in the oil before I answered slowly. "What...do you mean?" She didn't see...did she?

"I woke up around four thirty to use the bathroom," she explained, swinging her legs. "And you weren't in your sleeping bag. Or my room."

"My dad called," I couldn't even believe the lie was coming out so smoothly. Lying was _not _something Isabella Swan was good at, yet I was saying it without any waver. "I took your house phone outside so no one would wake up. I'm surprised the ringing didn't get you up."

Her eyes widened. "The phone _rang_?"

"Mhmm," I tilted my head a little, starting a new egg. "I guess you were too busy snoring."

She whacked me, and I jumped back with a laugh. "I do not _snore_."

We flowed into an easier conversation after that, the snoring jibe distracting her enough so that the odd thought of my Dad calling in the middle of the night didn't catch her attention, but no matter what she said, my thoughts kept drifting away. Not that she noticed; she was very talkative and could possibly hold a whole conversation with herself. But, after the reminder of last night, I couldn't help but reminisce about my encounter with the green-eyed perfection. It was so different then all our others...we _talked_. Really talked. And I felt as though he understood me more. We had even more of a connection than there was before.

And, now, I didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.

***Flashback***

"_Are you always this quiet?"_

_I looked away from the stars to glance at Mr. Cullen. I had gotten the courage to finally move my feet and sit beside him on the blanket just a few minutes ago. Yet, even so, I hadn't said a word the whole time. It felt...strange, being with him like this. I didn't know how to put the feeling into words. I found comfort in his presence; safety at the thought that he was beside me. The way my body reacted at the sight of him, it was like I have known him for years. _

_When, in reality, it's only been two days._

_I looked back up at the sky, trying to forget the unsettling thought. "I am, actually," I answered him softly. "It's a pretty well-known fact, to tell you the truth, Mr. Cullen."_

"_Edward," he said suddenly, making me send a confused glance his way. _

"_What?"_

_He shook his head a little, "If I have to call you Bella, then you must call me Edward."_

What? _He couldn't be serious. "I...I hardly think that's appropriate," I murmured, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. I could not call him Edward and get away with it. It was..._much_ to familiar. People may take it the wrong way...and that could cause to much attention. Something I hated too much to draw to myself. _

"_Hm." he settled back on the blanket, folding his hands behind his head. Every time he moved, it was very distracting. My eyes always wanted to watch his body make those movements and catch details. I had to control myself and only send him a glance every now and then. "Fine then...Miss Swan."_

_The sound of that made my eyes widen, because it sounded horribly unacceptable coming from him. An odd feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, and I frowned. Was this how it felt for him, whenever I called him Mr. Cullen? This dreadful feel of...wrong? _

"_Don't call me that," I snapped without thinking, which was different for me. It seemed as though I always acted...weird with him around. But, I didn't know whether or not I liked it. I felt like I could say whatever I want, and he'd be there to accept that. When with him, and even after being with him, I always feel a strange rise of confidence. Maybe, this was what had me talking all the time? Just...him?_

_He chuckled. "Don't call me Mr. Cullen."_

"_You're a substitute," I tried reasoning with him. "There's a possibility that I could be a student of yours again. I'm not going to walk into class, calling you Edward."_

"_You don't have to call me Edward _then_," he shot back. "If you've paid attention, Alice calls me Mr. Cullen during school, but says my proper name at home. You could do the same."_

"_But she's your _sister_," I said, feeling anger bubble up at his stubbornness. "She has the right to call you Edward!"_

"_Well, I'm giving you that right, aren't I?" he said, looking equally mad. "You just won't accept it. It's mine to give, correct? Considering that it is my name?"_

"_Yes...but," I bit my lip. "People would take it the wrong way and..."_

_He shook his head softly. "And you care what people think, Miss Swan?"_

_I frowned again, at the sound of that name. "Well...no...not _exactly_..."_

"_Then why should it matter, Miss Swan?"_

_That _name _again, was he trying to drive me mad?_

"_I..." I looked away from him, back at the stars, my voice trailing off. _

"_Miss Swan?"_

_I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. What was in there to lose, if I really started calling him Edward? There was no one here right now, no one would hear it but the two of us...right? Maybe I should just say it tonight...that way...I wouldn't have to hear him calling me Miss Swan._

"_Alright..." I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to see his triumphant smile. "You win...Edward." There was something about me calling him Edward...that was completely different when I called him Mr. Cullen. And, whatever it was...it made me feel warm. Everywhere. In that one moment that I had addressed him as Edward...something felt right. _

_He laughed when I said it, a full-blown laugh that had be snapping my eyes open. The sound was luxurious...but loud. So loud, that as a automatic response, I scrambled over to shush him. _

"_Shh!" I whispered, putting a hand over his mouth. "You're going to wake everyone up!"_

_He stopped at once, humor still in his eyes as they flashed to me, then the hand I had quieted him with. _

_...and then it hit me. _

I was touching his face.

_I felt Mr. Cullen's special smile under my palm, but I was too flustered to pull my hand away. Or, do anything, for that matter. I felt frozen under his gaze._

_Slowly, he took a hand from behind his head and covered it over my own. He pulled my hand off his mouth, revealing that crooked smile, but kept it in his grasp, even squeezing my fingers a little. I was kneeling beside where his body lay, and I felt my teeth latch onto my bottom lip at his actions. The only movement I made was an involuntary shiver as the night air decided to drop a few degrees. _

"_Are you cold, Bella?" he asked, his velvet voice low and smooth._

_My throat felt too choked up for me to talk, because he was still holding my hand, and I didn't want to lie. So, as a response, I nodded. _

"_Body heat would warm you," he said softly, nearly too soft for me to hear. _

_But...wait. What'd he mean by body...?_

_Almost too fast for me to comprehend, he tugged on my hand. It wasn't hard, just a good enough tug to have me falling against his chest in surprise. He wrapped his other arm around me to right me in a more comfortable position for both of us. Then, too quickly for me to react, he had thrown the other end of the blanket over the two of us. _

"_Better?" he asked when he was finished. _

_I couldn't breath...seriously. And I don't think there had ever been a time when I was blushing so hard. He had one arm wrapped around my waist, and his other one was by his side, where he still had my hand in his. My free arm laid near his head, my hand close to his face. As nervous as I suddenly was...I _was _warmer. The thought making me blush even redder than I was. _

_"Y-yes..." I whispered, my voice somehow finding it's way through. "Thank you, Mr. Cull...err, __Edward." _

"_Relax, Bella," he said soothingly. "You don't have to be so tense."_

'Didn't I?' _I thought in response. I had never been so close so a male before, especially a male I felt such a strange, overwhelming attraction to. Though, in his defense, there's never really been another guy who I've felt such a strong connection to. _

_At his words, I tried making myself relax...but it was hard. The feel of him around me...it was like our bodies were made to be fit like this. I felt his muscular chest underneath me, and the firm grip of his arm around me. His fingers grasped my own tightly, his thumb trailing small patterns on the back of my hand. All of these feelings were just...so hard to understand at once. They were all different, yet the same. They mixed into something that was much bigger than their individual selves, and it warmed me even more. That fire that always starts up inside me when he was within such a close distance suddenly came at full strength, and I melted in it. Melted in him. I ignored the logic part of my brain that was screaming at me to move away, that this wasn't right, that I was making a mistake. I listened to the part that was telling me to take a risk, take a chance, instead. To do what _I _felt was right to do at the moment. To just follow what my body was telling me._

_And, I was relaxed._

"_Good job," he murmured, a smile on his face. "Comfortable, now?"_

_I nodded, the fabric of his shirt rubbing against my face. Using my free arm as support, I anchored myself in a way so I could look down at him. "This isn't exactly stargazing," I said._

"_For you, maybe," he gave the sky a pointed gaze, then looked back at me. "But I can still see them."_

_I smiled a little. "That isn't really fair, Edward." It came out this time, so naturally. _

"_Well," he said slowly. "You can't be looking at the stars while I ask you questions, Bella. They'll distract you."_

"_Questions?" _

_He nodded. "Questions."_

"_You have questions?" I asked, my brows furrowing._

"_I have many," he clarified with a smirk. _

"_Alright..." I settled back into the more comfortable position, my head laying back on his chest. "I won't look at the stars," though that wouldn't really be the reason to why I would be distracted. "So shoot."_

"_Hmm..." the arm at my waist tightened a bit. "Why are you always so quiet?"_

_My eyes widened at his question, asked so bluntly. "What?"_

"_You say you're always quiet, I want to know why."_

_I blinked in surprise. "O-okay...give me a moment."_

_He squeezed my hand. "Take your time, Bella."_

_How was I supposed to word this? I mean, I knew the reasons for my quiet demeanor...but how do I explain that to someone else? I took a deep breath, frowning as I started, "I'm quiet all the time because...I choose to be."_

"_You choose to-?"_

_I glanced up quickly to give him a look that clearly read, 'Shut up', and he silenced. "If you want me to answer," I scolded. "Don't interrupt me." he nodded, smiling a little at my words, urging me to continue. "Well...you see, I had realized there a lot of things that go unnoticed when you talk too much, too many details that go unseen. Other people don't see this because...they don't shut up. They don't stop to take the time to look around them and just..._see. _I know a lot of people in the world say that listening is something really important to do, but so is watching. Paying attention." I shifted above him, curling my leg up a bit, and he moved his own in response. "When I'm talking to someone, having a real conversation – which is rare, by the way – I always wonder if they notice what _they're _doing themselves. Like, does this girl notice how she tilts her head when she lies; or does this guy see how he cracks his knuckles whenever he's nervous? Body language is different for everybody, and I like noticing the little things. And it's not just people, too. I'll catch the smallest details around me. I remember, three years ago, a man painted a portrait of my mother and Phil. When we got the portrait...something seemed off about it. Then, I had realized, on my mother's blouse, he had missed a button. Just one button. And it bugged me to no end." I shook my head at the memory. "The reason I'm so quiet is because there are things I don't want to miss. I mean, I probably won't see _everything_. But..." I smiled. "It's good to get in as much as I can."_

_A silence carried on as Mr. Cullen seemed to absorb what I just told him. It got to the point where he was so silent, that I peeked up to look at him. _

"_Edward?" I murmured. _

_He looked down at me, then smiled that smile for me. I couldn't help but give him a small one in return. _

"_You're much more complicated than I originally thought, Bella," he said to me. _

"_What?" I asked, laying my head back down. "You thought I was one of those simple, 'I hate the world so I'm just going to ignore it', kind of person, didn't you?" _

_He chuckled softly. "At first...but it's nice to understand your reasoning." _

_I nodded, the corners lifting up in response to his words. We both went quiet again as he looked back up at the sky. I couldn't see the stars from my position, but it wasn't like I would be complaining about where I was. While I laid there, comfortable, I was completely unaware of what could be going in in _Mr_. _Cullen's _head as he lay silent. _

_And it wasn't until he freed my hand from his, bringing his to my face to tilt my chin up, that I realized there may have been a possibility that he had been thinking of me. _

_I froze above him as he tilted my face up to meet his eyes, so dark and mysterious under the moon. His gaze was impossibly intense, and it had the fire in me blazing at full force. My breath hitched in my throat as his eyes narrowed further, and he trailed a soft finger down my cheek. _

"_Bella..." he murmured. _

_My heart was beating impossibly fast, and my words nearly came out choked. "Y-yes, Edward?"_

_His hand traveled up to my hairline, where he grasped a strand that was billowing in the slight wind and twirled it in his fingers. The emerald gaze never let up, and I couldn't find the strength to look away._

"_Why..." he started out slowly, his voice capturing my full attention. "Why are you so...?" He couldn't seem to go on, and his mouth flattened into a straight line, as if he were frustrated about something. There was only one word that I could think of someone using when describing me, and I was pretty sure he wanted to say it. _

"_Different?" I whispered, finally looking down and away from his eyes._

_He laughed quietly at that, but it didn't sound right. He _was _frustrated about something. _

"_No, no," he said. "That wasn't even in my mind...though, I couldn't really agree more. You are, indeed, different, Bella."_

_I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, and I wanted to disappear._

"_Not in the bad way," he said hurriedly, releasing my hair so he could raise my chin again and force me to look at him, to notice at his warm, crooked smile. "I like who you are, what you do. I like that you're different. But..." he frowned, the annoyance at _something _flashing across his face again. "That wasn't what I was going to say." _

"_Then what?" I asked quietly, wondering if I really wanted to hear it. His words were already surprising me. He..._liked..._that I was different? _

_He took a deep breath, as if preparing for something difficult. "Bella...I was going to ask..." he frowned, shaking his head, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I was going to ask why..." he met my eyes, the look he was giving me still incredibly intense. His hand, to my surprise, cupped my cheek, warming my already heated face. But, I did nothing to stop him. Again, I was listening to my heart and body, and not logic. "Why..."_

"_Yes, Edward?" I encouraged him, giving him a smile. _

"_Bella..." he closed his eyes, his thumb stroking my cheek. "Why are you so...beautiful?" _

_*_**End Flashback**_* _

I was snapped from my reverie when the sharp sound of crunching came to my ears. During my remembrance of last night, I had gotten most of the breakfast done. The eggs were finished, and there was just a few more pieces of bacon that I needed to fry.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Alice asked, munching on one of the finished pieces of bacon. "You look kind of flushed."

_Did I?_ I put a hand to my cheek, and it did, indeed, feel warm. I was positive it was because of the memory of last night.

And Mr. Cullen. Always Mr. Cullen.

"I'm fine," I answered, finishing the last strips of bacon and putting them on a plate. "Are Lauren and Jessica awake, yet?"

"Yep," Alice laughed, getting more plates so I could serve out the food. "The smell of your delicious cooking got to them."

"Oh please," I snorted, splitting everything equally. "Me making eggs and bacon is equivalent to _you_ making cereal."

Alice glared at me, then grumbled. "Okay...there was just that _one time_ I put the cereal in the fridge."

I giggled. "And the time you didn't pour in cereal."

She whacked my shoulder. "I was tired! Alright?"

"Okay, okay," I raised my hands in defeat. "Now, can you go get Jessica and Lauren so we can eat? I'm hungry."

"Whatever," she mumbled, stalking off into the living room.

I grabbed the plates, a smile still on my face as I headed to the dining room. Setting the plates down and heading back for the other two, my mind couldn't help but drift off into another direction. And even Jessica and Lauren's chatter didn't break my thoughts as they swayed into another place.

A breezy place with stars, a blanket, and a highly attractive and warm, green-eyed man.

* * *

_A/N: To tell you the truth...I didn't really like my last chapter ): It seemed too rushed x[ _

_I liked this one better, though :D Hopefully, you all will, too. :)_

_Review? :3 (That rhymed DX DX DX)  
_

**-Sapphire**_  
_


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: _Hello again, people :)_

_Thank you, thank you, _**thank you for the reviews :) **You all are super mega wonderful. _I, also, really appreciate the critique :). I can't make any real promises, but I'll try my _best _to improve. _

_Also, on the subject of _**Edward POV**, _my friends and I have discussed...and we've come with two decisions that I'd like you to think about. I know a lot of you want it, but there are still others who don't want me to ruin the 'mystery' that is Edward Cullen ;). So, what we've come up with is that either, at the end of the story, I could re-write the whole thing in Edward POV and post it. OR, if you can't wait that long, you can PM me about what particular scene you want in his POV, and I'll send it to you. Though, I can't guarantee that my replies would be fast. I do have _this _story to work on, you know. _

_So...think about that? :L And tell me whatcha think. :)_

_Oh yeah, and since you asked, _**Lol reviews are not like poo**(nice name, by the way XD), _Bella is 18, and Edward is 23 :)  
_

_Now...enjoy the chapter :D _

**Disclaimer(something I _always _forget to put on -_-): I don't own Twilight, 'kay? I'm pretty sure everyone GETS THE PICTURE...that it's not mine ): **_  
_

_

* * *

Previously..._

_Alice glared at me, then grumbled. "Okay...there was just that _one time_ I put the cereal in the fridge."_

_I giggled. "And the time you didn't pour in cereal."_

_She whacked my shoulder. "I was tired! Alright?"_

"_Okay, okay," I raised my hands in defeat. "Now, can you go get Jessica and Lauren so we can eat? I'm hungry." _

"_Whatever," she mumbled, stalking off into the living room._

_I grabbed the plates, a smile still on my face as I headed to the dining room. Setting the plates down and heading back for the other two, my mind couldn't help but drift off into another direction. And even Jessica and Lauren's chatter didn't break my thoughts as they swayed into another place. _

_A breezy place with stars, a blanket, and a highly attractive and warm, green-eyed man.

* * *

_

Monday had finally come; bringing the weekdays and early risings along with it. Once the sun – which was a particular surprise to see – rose from the window, I had woken for school. I was showered, dressed, and ready around six thirty...giving me about an hour or so of free time. Charlie had already left for work, so that left me with no one to converse with – the phone was still something I was wary of using. Because there was nothing better to do, I decided to bask in the sunlight, that was such a rare sight, until it was time for me to leave. I might as well soak it up before it was gone.

I quickly grabbed an extra blanket from the house and spread it out on the front yard, then laid down on my stomach. The long-missed heat felt good on my back, and I snuggled my face into my arms.

As I lay there, more memories from Friday night...or better yet, early Saturday morning couldn't help but flood my mind. It had happened a lot over the weekend, and I found myself being overly cautious about what I did most of the time. For a good example...driving. I knew now, from personal experience, that I was nearly handicapped with driving when the thoughts of Mr. Cullen attacked. It wasn't like I could control such things; they choose to come at their own random, sometimes life-threatening times. It was actually...quite irritating.

Though, I had to admit to myself that I have grown much more fonder of him. Once a man who I had resented because of his beauty and attention, I was now absurdly curious about. He was such a mystery to me. We may have talked that one night...but he never really revealed anything about himself. He had been the one who was asking _me _the questions. Though I may have been much bolder than usual with Mr. Cullen, I was still much too shy to turn the tables and learn more about him. I _wanted _to, very much, but I was still embarrassed and confused about how I could be so interested in him. So, even when question after question popped into my mind, I bit my tongue – figuratively speaking – and kept them there. Always too afraid to ever let it out, and I would find myself answering whatever question he'd throw at me. Just so I could avoid such thoughts about him.

I shake my head, feeling the skin of my arms pull at the skin on my forehead. The night with him, though...I was not sure at where it left us. Were we...closer? Was some type of bond formed? I was never really good at any of these kind of things...so how was I supposed to act? During that night, it had just been the two of us. But how was I supposed to treat him now, in public? Around other people? I had thought I would have been able to get some type of example from him that morning, after making everyone breakfast. But, according to Alice, who had been answering _Jessica's _question – because she was actually bold enough to ask where her brother was – at the time, Mr. Cullen had left early. Alice had not seen him in his room, and the Volvo was gone. So where did that night leave us? He had been so sweet...and understanding...

Why was he making me feel like this?

I was never sure if he reciprocated the same feelings as I...because I have now noticed the two sides of him. The interested, kind and gentle side he seemed to show with me every time we were alone...and then there was the calm, friendly yet indifferent side that he used amongst a group of people. I didn't know whether or not he was like that with me just to be teasing, or if he were serious, because he kept changing before my eyes.

Groaning in confusion, I shut my eyes tight and frown. I just don't understand anything! I shouldn't even be so deep in thought about him...a _substitute _at my _school_ for God's sake. Feelings, emotions, all these things that I'm aware I'm having around him. It wasn't right...

It wasn't fair.

Why, oh _why _did the only man I have ever felt such an emotional _and _physical connection to had to be him?

Alice's brother...Mr. Cullen.

It wasn't fair at all.

***Flashback***

"_Bella..." Mr. Cullen closes his eyes, his thumb stroking my cheek. "Why are you so...beautiful?" _

_My heart stops then, freezing in my chest at his question. _

_...Beautiful? Surely, he had to be kidding. There _were_ those enjoyable, rare days where I could look at myself in the mirror and find my appearance 'acceptable', or maybe even 'pretty'. But...the word beautiful was no where near the vocabulary I used to describe myself. Nor did I think it ever would be. I mean, I knew I had sort of nice skin. Pale, unblemished, easily flushed with color. And I was told I had nice, chocolate brown eyes. Other than that...I found myself quite plain compared to everyone else around me. And I liked it that way. I never felt the urge to throw myself out there, wearing anything flashy or putting on makeup. It wasn't me. It wasn't...Bella Swan._

_So, when what he had said to me finally processed in my mind, I found myself pushing myself up and snorting in disbelief. "Beautiful?" I ask skeptically, feeling the cool night air brush the parts of me that were no longer covered by him. _

_He chuckles at my reaction. "It's actually quite frustrating..." he continues on. "What you are actually able to do to someone...looking the way you do."_

_What _I _am able to do to someone? Unbelievable! Has this man ever looked in a mirror, or paid attention to any of the females that were constantly trying to place themselves at his side? Obviously not, if he were to say something like that to me. _

"_In fact," he adds when I do not respond. Though, when he spoke, I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, or the fact that I was staying up so late...he sounded a bit angry. "Considering the bummed out expression that the..._McCarty _boy had when I chose to move you, I'd say you probably have many guys chasing after you." _

_I gawk at that statement, looking down at him with wide, alarmed eyes. Would he honestly, _truly _believe such a thing? Did I _look _like the kind of girl who basked in the attention of males everyday? Hopefully, not. Actually...I knew I wasn't like that. I was aware of the fact that I was different from people who chose that kind of path. _

"_You're wrong, Edward," I tell him, shocked at my own self when a laugh escapes my lips. "You are so..._completely _wrong."_

"_Am I?" he asks quietly, opening his eyes and revealing their captivating, emerald color. _

_I nod my head, smiling softly. "I avoid things like that," I explain. "I don't like...attention. I've already told you that I enjoy the quiet. Having so much people around me would be...loud and annoying." I shake my head, then tilt it a bit at his expression. "You look like you don't believe me."_

"_It's difficult_ _to believe," he says with a smirk. "You would understand if you saw yourself clearly, Bella."_

"_If _I _saw myself clearly?" I ask, huffing at how stubborn he was being. "You obviously don't seem to own a mirror yourself if you're saying that to me."_

_Mr. Cullen laughs, pulling me back onto his chest and making my anger dissipate at once. "Regardless of whichever one of us is the blind one...fighting over it would be silly."_

"_Oh yeah," I mumble, indignant, though I don't pull away from him. I was warm again. "But arguing over names is just _so _acceptable." _

_He chuckles, and I feel the vibration against my cheek. "Ah...Bella. What you do to someone."_

_I sigh, still disbelieving what was coming from his mouth. Why was he always like this? So...confusing and unsolvable. I was overwhelmed with the sudden desire to ask him...how _exactly _did he see me? When he saw me...what goes through his head. But, I knew I could never ask that. I wasn't bold like Jessica or Tanya. "Don't you have questions?" I ask, wanting to change the subject. _

_He smiles. "I do."_

***End Flashback***

Shivering, but not from the cold, I stand shakily from the blanket. It was almost time for me to get to school, so thinking about this now was not a good idea. If I hadn't been careful, I would have probably laid there throughout the whole day.

I put away the blanket and retrieved all my school things before heading out to the truck. Trying to keep my mind as blank as possible, I took my time driving to school. I made myself think of trivial things; like the nice weather, the essay I had finished easily over the weekend, and what I should make Charlie for dinner tonight. Simple stuff. When I had finally pulled into the school, I blew out a sigh of relief. No crash.

"Hey Bella," Alice kindly greeted me as we began our normal walk to my locker.

I send her a glance. "Not so cheerful today?" I ask quietly maneuver our way around other.

She seems to consider her answer. "...no. Not really."

"Why?" There was no reason for me to ask her, I already knew the answer without her telling me. But, I liked being the kind of person who was nice enough to ask.

Alice shook her head and leaned it on my shoulder, I looped my elbow through hers. "Edward's here to substitute..." she groaned. "And, as if having him here, watching all these girls bitch and moan about him not paying them any attention wasn't worse enough...he's subbing for one of _my _classes."

I nod my head in understanding, patting her hair. When we reached my locker, she danced forward to open it. "One of _our _classes," she corrected herself as she backed away to let me put my stuff in.

I immediately stiffen at her words. "_What_?" As if being alone with him hadn't been hard enough. Well...now at least I could see how I should act in public. I already had a feeling that I couldn't act too familiar, because people may get the wrong idea.

"Yeah," she glumly responds as we start walking. "Math, _second_ period? Mr. Varner isn't here today."

Second period?

..._second _period? That gave me no time to prepare for anything! Not...that...I _needed _to prepare to see him. It wasn't like I was going to go running for a ladies' room or something. It was just...this was going to be the first time that I've seen him since that night. I was suddenly, _very _nervous. Butterflies erupted inside my stomach, a feeling I was so, absolutely unfamiliar with, that I freeze in my tracks.

"Bella?" Alice calls to me when I stopped moving.

"I...I..." I shake my head, unable to speak. Alice, thankfully, was used to this. She sent me a comforting smile.

"Oh, I know I shouldn't be complaining. You think he's cool, am I right?" she took my hand and started pulling us both forward. My feet followed on numbly. "Well, it's not like _he's _the problem. It's..." We pass by a group of girls who are huddled in front of the Mr. Varner's room, whispering and giggling, pointing inside the door window. Alice gave them a death glare, her eyes like lasers as we walk. "_Them_."

I sigh, shaking my head at them all. I may – and I _will _admit it – be a _bit _infatuated with Mr. Cullen. But...at least I would never stoop down to _their _obvious level.

"Come on, Bella," Alice says, walking faster. "Let's go to art."

I follow without argument. Unable to stand more of those kind of females.

* * *

The speed at which Art ended made me think that time itself was trying to tease me. There was no way an hour could pass by so quickly! It only seemed mere minutes; us walking in, greeting Jasper, getting compliments on my work, learning the week's assignment...then _ring_, there goes the bell. Signaling class was over. Everyone else had seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal, Alice and Jasper had acted normal enough, so why was I freaking out so much?

_Why? _My own mind snapped back at me. _Don't act like you forgot who you're about to see._

_...Edward._

"Mr. Cullen..." I murmur aloud with a shake of the head. It was still hard to grasp that I was just minutes from seeing his face. I was both giddy and nervous. A very bad combination, in my opinion.

"...say something, Bella?" It took me a while to notice that Alice had asked me a question as we both walked side-by-side to math.

I looked at her, eyes wide at nearly being caught, then shook my head frantically.

"Hm..." she laughs. "I could have sworn I heard you say something." I shake my head again, and she smiles. "God, all this 'Mr. Cullen' talk, and now I'm starting to hear things. I should've known, because I doubt it would be coming from _you _in the first place." I make myself laugh with her, and luckily, she doesn't notice a thing. She gives me a grin as we approach the door that she had been staring venomously at earlier. "Are you ready for this?" she asks.

"I've already been through it once," I murmur with a smile, walking in as she opens the door. My voice may have been steady when I had replied, but my heart was beating hard inside my chest. _Was _I really ready for this?

When we had walked in, I was hit with the sudden sense of déjà vu. Everyone was here, sitting and ready for class, just like it had been when I had walked into Chemistry last week. The only difference was that we weren't the last ones to arrive, but we were close enough. Alice and I quickly found our seats, which was around the middle, instead of my usual front, because she tended to pass me notes every now and then.

People were chattering around us, and I ran fingers through my hair as I tried to drown out the noise. It was as if everything had become ten times louder, like in the climatic parts of movies...and I couldn't understand why. Was it because...I was just waiting for him to walk through those doors? Because my mind was imagining it already. Seeing his face again, and maybe even that crooked smile. It got me excited in a way that I couldn't understand. The sound around me welled up, and I dropped my head into my arms. I was trying my best to calm down, but I could already feeling my cheeks flush their signature red coloring.

He was doing it to me again.

I felt my body freeze over when I heard the silence erupt from the classroom. Knowing, very well, that it could only mean one thing. It was so quiet that I could hear the knob turn and the door being pulled open. The sound of footsteps echoed in my ears, but I was too choked up to look. The sound of something being dropped onto the teacher's desk made me jump.

He was here.

* * *

A/N: _Well, there you go :) Another addition to this little story. I hope it was to your liking :D _

_Review? :3 _

_**-Sapphire**  
_


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: _**Thank you** PiecesOfMyHeartAreMissingYou, Booklover, star-night-love14, Sylvia Cullen, book critic (thank you for the critique, as well), JM, volvogirly, carrigan-r, evelinapalm, ClumsyQuirkyBookworms, Delanie, youngandmature, JasHuJuEdwella, jediahsokaroxx and Quiet and Complicated for the reviews! :) You guys are amazing :D _

_To **youngandmature**: I'll try my best to find the time to read and review your stories :D _

_To **PiecesOfMyHeartAreMissingYou**: Really? XD I do a happy dance after _finishing _a chapter XD_

_To _**_book critic_**_: Yeah, I liked chapter 9 better than 8, too :) I'll try my hardest to improve :D _

_To **Disclaimer**: I don't own Twilight, alright? LEAVE ME ALONE DX  
_

_

* * *

Previously..._

_I felt my body freeze over when I heard the silence erupt from the classroom. Knowing, very well, that it could only mean one thing. It was so quiet that I could hear the knob turn and the door being pulled open. The sound of footsteps echoed in my ears, but I was too choked up to look. The sound of something being dropped onto the teacher's desk made me jump._

_He was here.

* * *

_

I was able to clearly hear his every step; the silence of the room letting me do so. The quiet was like a personal little luxury for me, something I would wish for any day of the year. But, I knew they were only like this because _he _was here. Because _he _had entered the room.

Mr. Cullen.

For some odd reason, I couldn't find the strength to raise my head and look at him. Every time I tried, my neck would get tense, and instead, I'd find myself staring at the patterns on the desk. I had never felt this way before; only he had the ability to do this to me. Mess with my body both physically and emotionally. But how? Was he even aware that he was doing it?

_What a silly question_, I thought with a frown. _He probably hasn't even noticed that your in the classroom yet._

"Hello everyone," even the sound of his voice, so smooth and familiar, wasn't enough to give me the strength to see him. Something was wrong with my body; it wasn't listening to what my brain was screaming at it to do. I wanted to _move. _To _look up _when he spoke. "My name is Mr. Cullen, and I'll be subbing for Mr. Varner for the next three days while he's away."

My eyes widened in alarm. _Three days_? Alice hadn't told me that! I looked at her, planning on it being an accusative sort of gaze, but was surprised to find that her shock had mimicked mine. She hadn't known about this, either.

A few other girls giggled at this piece of information, and I overheard a hushed, "_Yes, oh my gawd_!" behind me. I wasn't sure whether or not I felt excited or bummed out about this news. I have been so confused about my feelings with him lately, I really didn't know how to act anymore. Hopefully, though, I would get some kind of insight from him. How would _he _act around everyone else? ...Normal, right? Casual?

"What happened to Mr. Varner?" A boy, Tyler Crowley if I had gotten the voice right, had asked.

"Who _cares_?" Multiple girls answered back to him snippily, and I heard Alice snort softly.

"I was asking Mr. _Cullen_," he muttered back to them.

Someone, most likely Mr. Cullen himself, cleared their throat to get everyone's attention. "Alright, alright." he said, and the urge to whimper, just because my body was screwing with me, overwhelmed my senses. I kept myself quiet. "I can tell you about it _after _I take roll, okay?"

"_Thank_ you," Tyler said, his tone implying that he had rolled his eyes afterwards.

It went quiet again as Mr. Cullen started calling names, the air occasionally cut with a "here!" or "present!". I bit my lip as the sound of him speaking enveloped me completely, and I closed my eyes with a small sigh.

I had never really been under any situation that would ever make me think so...but life _really _wasn't any fair. Especially under the circumstances I was currently facing; I felt like life was teasing me. The only time I had ever felt such a strong attraction to someone, and it had to be him. My _best friend's_ brother. _My_ substitute teacher. It was like I was being tested, as if life was examining my reserve. I am the quiet one, the unspoken. Rules are the guidelines to how I live, and I always follow them. I have beliefs that are strongly against this kind of thing. I am like stone, unchangeable, when it came to breaking any of those rules. Yet...how can it be that this _one _man, this one _unobtainable _man...is able to derail everything that had ever defined who I was? I should be angry about the whole thing, too; knowing he was slowly and surely changing me into something...different. Something that _wasn't _the Isabella Swan that I've made myself be.

But I couldn't find that anger.

As much as I wholeheartedly refused to admit it...some part of me was enjoying the change. Some part of me liked the idea that I was gaining confidence to speak out more, laugh more than I was used to. It liked the easy, calming atmosphere that was developed when Mr. Cullen and I are comfortable together. It was finding joy in those kind of things. And, because it _was_, indeed, a part of me...there really was no stopping it.

"Bella Swan?"

My eyes open and my head snaps up at the sound of me being called, and I finally..._thankfully_, get a look at him. It was like Mr. Cullen saying my name – Bella, opposed to Isabella or Mrs. Swan – with his low, velvet voice was the trigger into getting my body to move. And, seeing him standing there in his suit, a small smile adorning his face...it was a near relief. His perfection, of course, was never something I would get used to. But, I could never _not _privately enjoy that friendly, open look on his face.

"Present," I murmured, returning his smile with a shy one of my own.

That crooked smile he always seemed to save for me appeared briefly as our eyes met, but disappeared as he dropped his gaze and finished calling off the other names, then telling Mr. Varner's story – who had, apparently, been visiting friends in Maine, and had missed his flight home. I looked away from him and back down at the desk, glad that I was able to look up now. Stupid, disobeying body of mine deciding _now _to listen. It was like Mr. Cullen owned his very own part of me that he could control on his own will. That frustrating, beautiful man.

As he started on the day's lesson, I took out my notebook and pencil, keeping up with what he was saying. Though, I found it hard to focus because, every now and then, I swore those emerald eyes would look in my direction. Yet, I knew logically, that couldn't really be the case. I knew the two of us were...closer than any other usual teacher/student relationship, but...that didn't mean Mr. Cullen would lose his own focus on his _own_ work because of me. I wasn't that great of a person.

"_Why are you so...beautiful?"_

My eyes widen as the memory of his voice and what he had said that night fills my mind. As I unwillingly remembered the warmth of his body as well, heat started rising in my chest. ...This was not helping me focus at all.

Blinking rapidly and shaking my head to clear it, I studied the notes I had taken so far to get myself back on track. There was no need for me to fantasize about things that could never happen, especially if the result of that kind of thinking would have my grade point average dropping. I was _not _that kind of girl, and I was positive that he was not that kind of _man_. He has a life to live, and wouldn't waste his time with someone like me. There were better, prettier people out in the world.

_Will you two just get over it and realize that you _both_ want each other?_ I gasped as my own mind seemed to be playing tricks on me. A voice, sounding like my own, had snapped a very unbidden thought. One that had surprised me so much, that my pencil dropped from my hand and rolled to the ground.

"Bella?" Mr. Cullen called quietly, his voice tinted with worry. I look up to meet his eyes, and his brow furrowed. "Are you well?"

I bit my lip and swallow hard under his gaze, hurriedly reaching for my pencil before giving him my answer. "I'm fine, Mr. Cullen," I reassured hesitantly, uncomfortable with the glares I was receiving for taking his attention. Even so, my voice sounded steady enough. "Please continue."

He nodded, then started back on the lesson. The girls who had been scowling at me swerved forward so they could listen to him again, their pencils poised over their notebooks as they made sure to write down every word. At least that was _one _pro for having Mr. Cullen here, a lot of people chose to pay attention. Though, that didn't make up for Alice's long list of cons.

I jumped slightly when I felt a small poke at my elbow. Turning to look, I saw Alice had dropped a note onto my desk. She was too good at this kind of thing to get caught by a teacher, or even her own brother. Keeping a stoic face that I had mastered, I pulled it over to my notebook and opened it without making a sound.

_Is something wrong? You look sick. _

I sighed, quickly writing out my response.

_I'm fine, Alice. _

It was short, simple. Only because I was trying to forget the thought that had just decided to burst out on it's own. Her question was just bringing it back.

Her reply came quick.

_Positive? I think you should see the nurse._

I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to say something out loud.

_Again. I am fine Alice. You're seeing things._

When she read it, I heard her give an unsatisfied little huff, as if she were expecting something from me and didn't receive it. She started writing something back, the sound of lead on paper sounding more harsh than usual.

"Mr. Cullen!" Someone piped up unexpectedly, making me freeze.

Mr. Cullen looked up. "Yes?"

"Note passing isn't aloud, right?" I identified the voice as Irina Denali, Tanya's younger sister who had advanced to our class. I had never really paid any attention to her, but with the tone of her voice, I could only guess where this was going. "According to Mr. Varner's rules."

Mr. Cullen nodded slowly, arching a brow. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Because Alice and Bella are passing notes," she snitched merrily, happy that she had his attention. So, she was also a little fangirl of his. Figures.

His eyes flashed between Alice and me for a moment, before looking back at Irina. "Is that so?"

She nodded, her lashes fluttering. "I just thought that you should know."

"Thank you, Miss Denali," he said to her, then glancing back at us. "Alice, Bella, I'd like to see you after class."

We both nodded, and my cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. Everyone was staring again, and I _hated _that. I ducked my head down low and started gnawing on my lip. Attention was not something I could deal with. Scrutinizing gazes are not something I could act collected under.

"Alright, everyone." Mr. Cullen said, thankfully taking away everyone's stares from Alice and I. "That's it for the notes. You can get started on your homework early. Page one hundred fifty-three, problems two through forty-six even. No talking."

Everyone consented to his words, taking out their paper and math books. I shook my head and forced myself to do the same and forget about the people who kept sending me amused glances. I was not here for their entertainment, but for my _own _purposes. As everyone settled into the smooth movement of getting to work, a few words whispered here or there, I was relieved at the tranquility Mr. Cullen was able to create in a room. At the thought of him, I peek up involuntarily, knowing that he was leaning near the door.

And as I do, I find him staring right back.

My breath leaves me in a rush and a red hue decorates my cheek as I caught _his _green eyes for the first time. He looks away first, and my eyes drop back down to my work. Why did he always have to do this to me? Make me feel so..._not me_. I close my eyes again, covering most of my face with my hair so I wouldn't get caught 'napping'. Really, I was thinking, but things could get easily misunderstood. It was just...so hard to do schoolwork, I realized, when he's in the same room as me. He was too damn _distracting_.

"Alice, can you come out here with me, please?" Mr. Cullen called from where he was, the door open now in his invitation.

"Of course, Mr. Cullen," she replied, standing from her seat and following him out with light steps; the door shutting behind them quietly. I wondered if anyone else had noticed the sarcastic tone to her voice...or if it was just me. Alice didn't seem to enjoy being ordered around by her older brother.

I smirked at the thought, trying my hardest to get back to work. But, my mind wandered to what Mr. Cullen would have wanted with Alice. Was it about the note thing? And, if so...was I next? It wasn't like the note contained anything bad; there were no profanities or sexual suggestions. The note was to _me _for God's sake. That information alone should be enough to prove that the whole secret conversation had been innocent.

The two came back in only minutes later, and Alice found her way back beside me.

"Edward wants to see you," she whispered, her tone still rebelliously angry as she sat back down.

I looked up, guessing as much, and saw that he was still standing there with the door open, a brow arched at me. I prepared myself for the worst, because it didn't seem that it was going to go well if I was reading Alice correctly, and I took a deep breath before standing. I took my time to get to the door, feeling my nerves work up the closer I got to him. I could feel the stares of the class on my back, and I gulped inaudibly.

He wouldn't be too cruel, right? Note passing wasn't that bad, _right_? A lot of people did it.

I swept passed him and into the hallway, and he closed the door behind us. I turned to face him, trying to stay calm only because there had never really been a time that a teacher has ever called me out before. My nerves were on a rampage. And being alone out here with him wasn't helping that, either.

Mr. Cullen was leaning his back against the door, and was staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face. My eyes immediately went to the floor due to his penetrating gaze, and I ran nervous hands along my jeans.

"Is there something you want, Mr. Cullen?" I asked faintly.

"Edward," he corrected automatically.

I looked up, tilting my head. "We're in school," I said, confused.

"There's no one here," he reasoned, moving away from the door to look pointedly around us.

I did the same, making sure I wouldn't be overheard before relenting to his ridiculous request. "Is there something you want, Edward?" I revised my earlier question. I didn't want to call him that now, to be honest, no matter how nice it felt rolling off my tongue. It reminded me too much about _that night_. How was I supposed to act cool and collected around him with that on my mind?

He smirked at my reply, then said. "I just need to see if what Alice just told me was true. What was the note about, Bella? I'd advise you not to lie."

_As if I'd ever lie to a _teacher_, _I thought, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I was pretty sure he knew that, too.

"She was just asking to see if I was okay," I explained quietly, my gaze dropping to the floor again as I spoke. "Apparently, I looked a bit ill. I assured her, though, that I was perfectly _fine_."

"I see," he paused, and then chuckled lightly. "Well, your stories match. Though, I would have preferred for her to have told it as kindly as you have, but Alice will be Alice."

I looked back up at him. "So we're not in trouble?"

He shook his head. "No, I can tell you two aren't lying. Besides," he chuckled again. "Alice has told me even if you _were _to be lying, anyone would have been able to see through it."

I glared at him for that. "I'm not _that _bad, thank you very much," I defended myself, trying to work my way around him so I could get back in class.

"Wait, Bella," he wrapped his hand around my bare wrist, stopping me from going inside.

The move surprised me, and heat jolted up my arm at the sudden skin contact. I look back at him, already feeling the blush travel to my face. "Yes, Edward?" I murmured, meeting his eyes.

His gaze was penetrating again, studying me as if I was some kind of difficult enigma that he needed to solve. I felt so out in the open with that stare of his, as if he could see every part of me. Every secret and all of my past. It was disarming.

"_Are _you okay?" he asked, not releasing me from his hold.

My eyes widen at his unexpected question, and the caring tone of his voice pulled a smile out of me. "I'm fine, Edward," I answered softly, taking my wrist from him. "Really."

He gives me that crooked smile of his – a smile so rare for him to grant anyone else that I was on the brink of just claiming it as my own – and the sight warms my insides. Before I could get anymore mesmerized by his presence, I push myself through the door and back into the classroom. He follows close behind.

* * *

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," I told Alice as we sat at the lunch table.

"I know," she agreed, giving Jasper a smile as he joins us. "But at least we didn't have to talk to him after class since he took us out individually." I nodded at that, glad that I wouldn't have risked being late for

"What?" Jasper asked. "Who got taken out of class?"

"Bella and I," Alice answered, giggling when he put his arm around her.

Jasper gave me an alarmed look. "_Bella _got taken out of class? Hell must have froze over."

I shoot him a glare, and he just sends me back a friendly grin. I shake my head at the two of them, then cringe when I see Jessica and Lauren flounce their way over with their lunch trays, Angela following meekly behind. I always felt bad that she shared her fourth period with the two.

"Alice!" Jessica cooed, sitting across from her with a big smile. "Your sleepover was the best, babe! We've _got _to do it again sometime."

"_Definitely_," Lauren agreed. They, then, began their nonsense jabber about how amazing the sleepover was, and how they could improve on the _next _one. I chose to tune them out.

Angela sighed at their actions, taking the seat beside me. "They're unstoppable," she mutters to me. "All day today, their talk had been about Mr. Cullen."

I nodded my head at her, my lips tightening into a flat line.

"It's scary," she added, picking at her spaghetti. "They're so..._obsessed_. To the point where I'm actually starting to worry."

My lips quirked up into a smile, and she laughed inaudibly, hiding her face. I met Alice's eyes for a moment, and she looked annoyed and overwhelmed at what Jessica and Lauren were telling her. I gave her a sympathetic glance, and she pouted at me before looking back at the two.

"I always wonder," Angela said, and I turn my attention back to her. She had a thoughtful look on her face. "What would happen if, one day, Mr. Cullen actually _chose _to be with one of them. You know?" My brow furrows at her statement, and I give her a puzzled stare. "What I _mean_," she tries to explain. "Is that...what would happen? Would they tell everyone, or would they keep it a secret? Because, in my opinion, I wouldn't want anyone knowing I was dating the substitute. I would make sure _no one _would know about it."

What she was saying felt like it was hitting home, though I didn't know for what reason. Something about what she said had me feeling embarrassed, and had me turning red for no reason. Maybe it was the thought of...being with Mr. Cullen? Of seeing him and...just keeping it quiet?

_Oh no_, I thought, covering my face with my hands as I felt a full-blown blush come on. _What am I _thinking? _There was no way he'd want me like...that!_

"Bella?" Angela asked. "Is something wrong?"

I shake my head quickly. "No, no. I'm fine. Just...it's been a busy day." I murmur, taking my hands away from my face, scowling now. "A hard day."

"Oh, right," she laughs again. "I heard you got in trouble during math. That's new."

I give her small smile and nudge her a little with my elbow. "Shut up," I muttered, glad that we were on a different topic.

"I'm just saying," she said, taking a sip of her lemonade. "That's not like the Bella I know."

I try not to frown at her words, but it was difficult.

_Of course not_, my mind replies on it's own. _Because Mr. Cullen is changing me.

* * *

_

A/N: _Yay! Another chapter done :) Haha, success. How was it, guys? _

_Bad? Good? I've been busy lately, so I haven't had much time to read it over and check. O.o _

_Review? :3 _

_**-Sapphire**  
_


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: _If you were wondering...I believe the reason why this chapter is so much longer than the others is because my brother is away at band camp (and I do miss him like mad). So, he can't pull me outside while at band camp. Therefore, I had more time to write :)  
_

_And _**THANK YOU: **_helen, youngandmature, SexyEdwardCullen, Tortall101, PiecesOfMyHeartAreMissingYou, star-night-love14, Booklover, volvogirly, Brilliantsunshinewarrior12, Delanie, EmLou1987, Caroleg, Jasmine, book critic, Alicee, Milly, ClumsyQuirkyBookworms and evelinapalm for REVIEWING :) _

_To **youngandmature**, **book critic **and **evelinapalm**__: I apologize for the speed of my story ): It's a writing habit of mine to put in too much detail, so barely anything happens /: I'm sorry if it happens here, too. Habits aren't one to just disappear. I thank you, though, for the well-earned critique. _

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I wished that I could have said that the week had passed by without incident. I wished that if I were to describe my week, I could say that the time had flown quickly, and that everyone had been friendly and agreeable. That the whole atmosphere at school had been calm and easy; people had talked freely and on their own will. I also wished I could say that being in the presence of Mr. Cullen – who had subbed for my English class on Thursday _and_ Friday – was much easier now. That by being around him, I wasn't so engrossed in knowing he was there that I had been able to completely focus on my own schoolwork. I wished I could say that the whole five days had been normal, simple; like any other week that I had lived before.

Yet, I knew if I had said any of that aloud – if I would have even brought myself to _think _that – I would be lying. And lying, I knew, was something I rarely ever did.

And now was _not _the time for me to try. Especially lying to myself. I knew the week had been horrible, unbearable. Stressful. Frustrating.

Of course, it all started with Tanya. _Anything _that ruined my day always had to start with her. It was like she knew exactly how to drive me off the walls. Though I didn't show any emotion towards her whenever she decided to get catty, I still fumed inwardly. There were many things – _illegal _things – that I wanted done with her. But, I _am _the Police Chief's daughter. I had a reputation and a perfect record to uphold. And I wasn't going to taint them with the likes of _her_.

Technically, the whole scene had started out with Tanya's younger sister, Irina. Being the same, ridiculously jealous type like her sister, she had told Tanya about what had happened in Math right after class. Of course Tanya, being like she is, was sent on a rampage. When P.E. had reared it's ugly head on Monday, she had bit out her worst. Profanities and insults that you would never find _myself _repeating had been spit in my face, and like last time, I had been shoved to the floor. The moment I had fallen against the ground, I had regretted not having Alice walk me to P.E.. I hadn't wanted her to miss her next class, so I had forced her to go on. Little did I know what had been awaiting me in the locker room.

To make matters worse, she had done it in front of all the other girls who had been present. It had been completely _mortifying_. Especially when a few girls – the ones who have also decided to assume I was after Mr. Cullen – had cheered her on as she pushed me down. I avoided confrontation all the time, so I had no idea how to react under all of it. The only good part of that day had been when the female P.E. coach had come in to pull Tanya away from me, ordering her to go to the office and threatening any other onlookers with the same fate if they didn't turn away. They had dispersed quickly enough.

Even so, after all that, it still wasn't enough to cool down Tanya's anger. She was an unstoppable spitfire who's goal was to now make my life a living hell. She was smart enough, though, to avoid me whenever I was around Alice or Jasper; they were both dangerously protective of me. And they weren't afraid to show it. During the week, I had to get used them dragging me around to purposefully avoid her. It was tiring, and no use in my opinion if I was just going to face her alone at the end of the day. As much as I appreciated their effort, I also found it to be too much to handle.

Tanya was not the only one getting to me mentally, there was also Mr. Cullen. I am sure that I have already put enough detail into how he was affecting me. Throughout the whole week, there had been some type of underlying..._tension _between us. It was terrifyingly new to me, something I had never dealt with before. Whenever our eyes would meet, which seemed to be _often_, some sort of electrical energy would pass between our gazes. It was strong enough for me to feel it down to my toes; the oddest of tingles. Yet, as scary as I found it, it was also strangely enjoyable. The sensation had the ability to put a smile on my face, and Mr. Cullen would smirk in return before returning to what he had been doing.

Though, as enjoyable as it was, it was also incredibly distracting.

There was not enough time in the _world_, it seemed, for me to be able to ignore his presence whenever he was around. It was as though I could _feel _him. All the time. Something drawing me to his person. Even if my eyes were downcast, I was able to identify where he was in the classroom without looking up. Our abnormal connection allowing me to do so. I didn't know what to think of it, so I tried my best not to. He already took up enough of my thoughts as it was.

But, I was unsure to whether or not the new tension between us was a good or bad thing about the week. Try as I might, I never seemed to be able to squash my inevitable attraction to him. I wanted to...yet at the same time, I didn't. It was a perplexing subject that I wasn't very fond with thinking about.

Home wasn't that much of that perfect safe haven, either. I couldn't really talk to Charlie about anything, the air around us was always too awkward. I could tell him about how I was doing with school and what not, but never something this personal. It wasn't really something a father like mine would understand. And my mother, who was miles away, was only able to give me her sympathetic words of comfort over a phone. It wasn't the best thing in the world, to be honest.

Last but not least on my list of annoying, troubling things; there was the sleepover Jessica and Lauren had demanded from Alice, who was too nice to say no. On Friday, she had openly invited me in front of everyone, knowing I couldn't refuse. Angela, who had been silently amused over the whole situation, was then invited by me. The shock on her face had been enjoyable, and she had stuttered out her agreement when Jasper and I had finished laughing over her reaction.

And that was where I was left, now.

Sitting in my truck, parked outside of the Cullen house, observing the open garage that held a small amount of cars. I wasn't surprised. Alice had already told me about how both her parents were going to be out tonight, which was why Jessica and Lauren had thought now would be the perfect time to throw the slumber party. How they had swindled that information from her, I had no idea, but I just knew now was _not _the time to be at Mr. Cullen's house. The pressure that has been building lately has taken a tole on me, and I had no clue to _what _I would do if it were to get too high.

I climbed out of the truck with my things, always the first to arrive – even though we had all arranged to come around seven – and knocked on the door. Alice answered it immediately, a relieved grin settling on her face when shes sees that it's me.

"Thank God, Bella," she said, taking me by the elbow and into her house. It was eerily quiet, and most of the lights were out. "I hate being alone in this huge place. I've practically been plastered to the door, waiting for someone to get here!"

"Alone?" I murmured, brow furrowing. "Isn't Mr. Cullen here with you?" It seemed that under all my thinking and stress, I had missed to notice that his silver Volvo had been missing from the garage as well.

She shook her head. "I _wish_. The bastard went out somewhere, not even telling me when he'll be back." she marched swiftly up to her room, and I struggled to keep up with her quick pace. "I left him one hell of a voicemail, though. Oh!" she glanced back at me as she pushed her door open. "You should call him Edward, Bella, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

I made sure my face was blank as those words left her mouth, but my stomach curled tightly. _You have no idea, Alice. _

So, Mr. Cullen wasn't here, though...hm. Well, at least that made my day a bit easier. Yet, I couldn't help but anticipate the reaction that would come from Jessica and Lauren once they arrive. He _was _the main reason behind their plan.

"Anyways," she started as I put my things down. "Jessica and Lauren planned this whole thing, so don't blame me if anything goes horribly wrong, okay?"

I rolled my eyes at her, sitting on the bed. "Of course I'll blame you. You're the one who allowed this to happen. _Again_."

"Bella!" she whined. "You know I can't say no to people!"

"Hmph." I looked away, out her window that faced the yard. Raising a brow, I watched as Ben Cheney's car pulled into the driveway. "...Angela's here."

"Nuh uh!" Alice skipped to the window, gasping in delight. "Good call on inviting her, Bella. Now that there's three sane people, we'll have the upper hand."

I rolled my eyes at her, rising from my place on her bed so we could welcome Angela together. This wasn't Angela's first sleepover with Alice, but it _was _her first sleepover with the dangerous duo, Jessica and Lauren. I was sure she would be as surprised at their night wear as I had been. Angela was almost as innocent as I was. Except, she had a boyfriend, and therefore more experience when it came to _those _kinds of things.

Angela had approached with a reluctant expression on her face, one that sent Alice into a fit of giggles as I quietly teased her about today's activities. Jessica and Lauren had arrived soon after Angela had settled in. Once again, their clothing had been absolutely revealing and horrendous; the sight able to leave Angela blushing and looking away. And, I had been right, their reactions upon hearing about Mr. Cullen's departure had been well to anticipate.

"He's _what_?" Jessica nearly screeched, hands on her hips – which were bare due to her short top – as she stood in Alice's doorway.

"Not here," Alice repeated herself.

Angela smiled, then added, "Gone."

"Not even leaving his dearest sister with a time for his return," I finished timidly, a small smirk gracing my lips.

Lauren pouted. "You _seriously _don't know when he's coming back?"

For some reason, their regard for Mr. Cullen ignites something unexplainable inside me, and my teeth grind together in sudden anger. "Why should it matter?" I questioned. Though my voice was quiet, the ill tempered tone was clearly evident. "You wanted to have this sleepover to be with your best friends, right? So, why does the fact that Mr. Cullen isn't here bother you? It's not like you only came here for _him_, correct?"

They both gave me wide-eyed looks, probably surprised again at the amount of words I had used to address them. I, on the other hand, was getting used to the whole 'talking' thing. It wasn't as bad – nor as noisy – as I had first thought it of being. It just depended on whom you were talking to. I had realized this, actually, on that night I had spent with Mr. Cullen. We had laid out there for three whole hours, just talking. It had been an interesting, pleasant experience for me. One that I knew I wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

Jessica paled once her mind fully processed my question, and her eyes snapped to Alice. "It's not like that, I swear!" she defended herself.

"Yeah, yeah, we're totally here for you, Ali!" Lauren jumped in. "Well, okay, maybe your brother has a _little _bit to do wit –"

Jessica kicked the back of her leg. "Shut it, will you?" Lauren frowned, but quieted herself. Jessica faced Alice again, her expression pleading. It made me sick, and I wanted to leave. Alice, bless her, was able to keep her cool. I knew she was very aware to why Jessica and Lauren were here, and those reasons did not include her at all. So, I praised her for the believable, friendly façade.

"Of course I know it's not like that," Alice smiled. "Bella wasn't even serious, right Bella?"

They looked to me, and I inclined my head in agreement, making Jessica and Lauren slump a bit in relief.

After that small, little episode of dramatics, Jessica and Lauren put their plan into full effect.

"No fancy foods tonight, kiddies," she squealed as we all sat in the middle of Alice's bed, creating a circle. "Snacks...meaning we're raiding your kitchen, Alice." Alice laughed at that, nodding her head. "And there's going to be makeovers"–I cringed – "pictures, and scary movies," she finished devilishly, giggling as she ticked off each on a finger.

To me, though, it couldn't be any more cliché. And a scary movie was a horrible idea, especially coming from Jessica. "What, no pillow fights?" I murmured sarcastically.

Angela snorted softly, giving me an amused look that earned her a wry smile.

Jessica blinked, looking at me as if it were a serious question. "Aren't we too old for that?"

I closed my eyes in frustration, and Angela hid her laughter beside me. "Never mind, Jess."

We decided that Jessica and Lauren would fetch the goodies, while Alice, Angela and I would search for multiple horror flicks to watch tonight. In the pit of my stomach, I had a strong feeling that something was bound to go wrong at some point.

_Especially during the makeovers_, I thought grimly, scowling as Alice tossed me yet another movie.

"How about that one?" she asked as it fell to the floor due to my bad reflexes.

I picked it up, staring at the cover that seemed to stare right back; the one eye that was not covered by long, dirty hair looked at me with wide-eyed fear. "I can see the possibilities," I muttered, putting it in the 'maybe' pile. "You guys could tease them both for weeks with the sound that thing makes."

"That's the idea," Angela stated, replacing it to the 'definitely' stack, which had two other movies.

"Alright, I think three is good," Alice said. "Let's put the rest back."

It took awhile, because Alice had chosen to just empty out their whole collection of the horror genre. And, considering their amount of movies could rival a Blockbusters store...that was a _lot_. By the time we were done, Jessica and Lauren were standing with armfuls of their lot, saying that there was already a whole other load back inside the kitchen that they had to carry in. I saw many varieties of chips, cookies, sodas, chocolate and more. Mentally, I shook my head at the sight. I never really ate like..._this_. Even when I created 'snacks' at home, it involved a sandwich with some juice.

Also, a sugar-high Jessica Stanley_ and_ Lauren Mallory didn't seem like the best idea in the world.

Alice and Jessica began their mission of getting all of Alice's makeup supplies down into the living room as well. It seemed, because the parents were gone, they aloud us the living room once again. Angela and I watched from the sidelines, wincing as handfuls of product after product got carried down the stairs. You see...Angela and I went for the more 'natural' look; usually avoiding makeup, hairspray or dressy clothes unless under the circumstances of a special occasion. So, when Lauren decided to go up and get all of Alice's fancy, silk pajamas, I groaned.

"This is really going to happen, isn't it?" I murmured to Angela, who sat with me on the couch. Her faced mimicked my same bummed out expression.

She sighed, leaning her head against her hand as we watched the three girls get the 'workstation' ready. "I guess."

"...and there's no stopping it?"

"Not with those three in control."

Once all the preparations were ready, Alice skipped to sit by my side. Jessica and Lauren sat in front of us, big grins on their faces.

"Okay..." Jessica started. "Who first?" I felt Angela scoot closer to me in response to her question.

"I think you should go first, Jessica," Alice suggested. "Then Lauren, me, Angela, and Bella for last."

I blinked in surprise. "Why am I last?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Alice giggled and rolled her eyes. "You're going to be the least cooperative. I want to get done with myself _before _the night ends."

"Ha-ha." I monotone, glaring at her. Though, I couldn't help but think that she was probably right. Makeovers were my own personal hell.

Lauren clapped her hands together, bouncing up with excitement. "Oooo, come on Jess!" She yanked Jessica's hand to pull her over to the pillows that were arranged in the middle of the large room. They formed a wide circle, and in the middle held all the supplies and cosmetics needed for what they intended to do. Jessica was pushed into the middle as Alice and Lauren crowded around her. They inspected her hair and the makeup around them with critical eyes as Angela and I watched in odd fascination. It was interesting how serious some people could get over this.

I sat on one of the pillows, curling my legs under me as I observed their work. Soon, Angela followed. We both didn't talk as we watched Jessica's transformation, but that was okay. That was something that I liked about Angela. She had no problem with the silence, either.

* * *

The next two hours had been filled with giggles and laughter, with the occasional screech piercing the room. Around the time we reached Alice's turn, Angela had suggested that we put one of the movies in as we did the makeovers. Everyone had agreed. Now, amongst our jokes and fun, a bloodcurdling scream would have us all jumping every now and then. Jessica and Lauren tried their hardest to immerse themselves into their work so they wouldn't pay attention to what was happening on the flat screen – they were terrified of horror flicks, so I don't know why she had put it on the list – but it didn't seem to be working. Jessica's eyes were wide, snapping to the television every time the climatic music started, and Lauren was biting her whole, glossed bottom lip, her hand shaking a bit. Alice, Angela and I, though, were finding amusement in their actions.

Angela was almost done with her makeover, a feet she took with good grace, and I dreaded the beginning of mine. Alice kept giving me these strange, secretive glances. As if she had something up her sleeve. And you _never _trust a plotting Alice. _Ever_.

But, I tried to put that to the back of my mind and focus on other things.

Like, how I was surprised that Jessica and Lauren were able to fit into Alice's pajamas. It wasn't that Jessica and Lauren were big...it was just how Alice was so _tiny_. Well, Jessica was pretty short, too. And Lauren was thin. A good, positive thing about it was that Alice's clothes were much less revealing than what the two had intended on wearing. But, I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to fit into anything she owned. I was taller, Alice wasn't even five feet. Angela would probably have no luck fitting, either, considering she was the tallest of us all. Lucky for her, though, she had brought sleep wear approved by Alice. I, on the other hand, with my sweats and tank top, had no such thing.

"Do I...have to?" I asked quietly, cringing as they sat me down once Angela was finished. Angela, when made up, looked like a shy beauty. She flushed as Lauren kept commenting about how 'sexy' she was.

Alice laughed, jumping up and down. "Yes, you _have _to! I'm so excited! You rarely ever let me do you over!"

I grimaced. "There's a reason for that."

She swatted my shoulder lightly, giggling. "Okay, okay...now _what _to _do_?"

Jessica came beside her, nibbling on a cookie as she observed me through slitted, focused eyes. Eyes that scared me, if I were to be honest. "She has to match what she wears. But all she has are _those_," she motioned towards my pajamas, which I had changed into during Lauren's makeover. "We can't work with that."

That secretive glint came back to Alice's eyes, and I gulped, suddenly more afraid of her than I had been of Jessica.

"I have an idea," she stated boldly, sending me an evil smile before turning and running out of the living room. "Hold on, be right back!"

Now I was terrified. Where the hell was she going? This was _not _good. I was officially fearing for the worst.

Just as the rip of a chainsaw ripped through the air, and Jessica went cowering to Lauren, Alice popped back into the room, holding something behind her hands and big grin. She flounced before me, wiggling a bit in place as she seemed to be gouging my reacting for something.

"Ready?" she asked.

I shook my head a bit. "Probably not, but show me anyways."

With a flourish, she revealed what she held, and I stiffened where I sat.

It was a plain, old T-shirt. But, not only that.

It was the same old T-shirt that Mr. Cullen had worn last weekend, on..._that _night.

Oh, no.

"Alice..." I murmured slowly. "What are you thinking?"

Her grin widened as Jessica finally made it back over, though she was still a bit shaken. "I was thinking the ragged, sexy, just-out-of-bed look for _you_, Bella."

Jessica got a good look at the shirt, then gasped. "Is that – ?"

"My brothers?" Alice laughed as Angela and Lauren crowded over. "Of course it is. And Bella's wearing it tonight."

"Bella is not," I snapped, scooting away from her.

"You're letting _Bella _wear Mr. Cullen's shirt?" Lauren asked, her tone envious. She looked as though she wanted to snatch the shirt away, run, and keep it for herself. At the moment, I wouldn't care if she did. I was _not _wearing that.

"Let? No," Alice shot me a look, one of her scary, calculating ones. "I'm _making _her wear it."

"You can't make me do anything," I muttered angrily, glaring at the ground.

"_Bella_, look at me."

Oh no...I forced myself to not look up.

"Please...?"

No. No. _No_.

"...Bella...?"

Sighing, I peeked up, knowing I'd regret it. What I saw was Alice, pouting at me with full force. She looked sad...broken, an expression that tore at me at any moment. Even a silly one like this.

And she knew it.

Swallowing my pride and backbone, I slumped a bit in defeat. "Fine, Alice. I'll wear the damn shirt."

She squealed in victory. "Hurry, go put it on!" she urged, pulling me up and pushing me towards the bathroom. "I can't wait to get started on you!"

I accepted the shirt from her and closed the bathroom door behind me. I changed quickly, slipping off my tank top and pulling the shirt over my head. The material was light, baggy on my smaller frame, and felt smooth against my skin, the end reaching mid thigh. The neckline was kind of stretched out in it's age, and it revealed more of my shoulder than I would have liked. Yet, the sudden fact that I was wearing Mr. Cullen's clothing brings a blush to my face. I stare at myself in the mirror in the shirt; it was _big _on me. I didn't have the mass, nor muscles that Mr. Cullen had to fill it out. I thought I looked silly. Like a child playing dress-up.

Alice had a lot of work to do, then.

* * *

After forcing me from the bathroom, and another forty-five minutes later, they were done. When Alice had stepped away from doing the final touches to my face, I sighed in relief. After an onslaught of orders to 'stop twitching!' and 'stay still, dammit!' and 'Bella, stop acting like it's going to bite you!', I was done. There had been way too much hair tugging, lip puckering and brow plucking. I was _finished_. I was sure, after this, Alice was wasn't touching me ever _again_. And you'd think she would have gone easy since I had succumbed to the demand of wearing her brother's shirt.

"Bella," Alice giggled. "You look _hot_."

I squirmed where I sat, uncomfortable under their gazes. Jessica and Lauren still weren't over the fact that I was wearing Mr. Cullen's clothes, so even though they helped, they glared jealously at the finished product that was me. Angela, though, was looking at me in a thoughtful kind of wonder.

"Bella," she said with smile. "If you looked like this at school..." her voice trailed off, and she shook her head.

I flushed at that, looking away.

"Bella, Bella, Bella! Go see how you look!" Alice tugged me up, and the five of us made our way to the bathroom so we could all inspect ourselves in the mirror.

I knew Jessica and Lauren would be pleased with their look, they were both very showy, after all. Jessica's hair had been left in it's wild, natural curls, while Lauren's had been curled into a thick mass. Their makeup, done more modestly than they were probably used to, made their skin glow and seem flawless. Together, they sported Alice's silk pajamas. Jessica in red, and Lauren in purple.

Alice looked her cute, perky self. Her hair, normally spiked in it's usual style, was now straightened and pinned up in a few clips. Her makeup was light, a bit of blush on her cheeks, eyeliner and shimmering lip gloss. She wore dark blue pajamas, her favorite pare. She looked alive and full of life, her eyes bright and happy.

Angela was different from them, her having the softest look. Like Lauren, her hair was curled, but with bigger, nearly wavy kind of curls. The kind that had her hair looking unbelievably shiny and smooth. She had nearly no makeup – some people had all the luck – and her shy demeanor made the innocence of her look appealing. She wore her own sleep wear; a peach colored, knee-length nightgown.

They all looked beautiful in their own way. So, when caught my own image in the mirror...I froze.

Ragged, just-out-of-bed was right.

My hair had been teased around with, creating a mass of hair that should have looked like a haystack...but seemed to fit the whole image. My eyelashes seemed thick, and my eyes shadowy and mysterious under the eyeshadow. My cheeks didn't need any blush, because they reddened on their own accord at the sight of myself. My lips were red and full looking, and I puckered them curiously. Mr. Cullen's shirt had a big effect on the whole thing as well, especially where one of my shoulders was a bit bare. My congratulations to those who had worked on me, because it _did _seem as though I had just gotten out of bed. But...it looked _good_. Which was something I never really thought of myself.

"One last thing?" Alice asked beside me, making me jump. Behind her, Jessica and Lauren were posing dramatically as Angela took their picture. They were laughing, happy with their makeovers.

I looked at Alice suspiciously, for she was hiding something behind her back again.

"What is it?" I asked, both hesitant and weary.

Slowly, she pulled out a pair of shorts. They were black, cotton, and looked as though they wouldn't really cover _anything_. "Put these on?"

"You're kidding," I deadpanned, staring at her in disbelief.

"For me?" she pleaded, holding them out.

I glared. "Not even."

"Oh, come _on_ Bella! This will complete the whole look I was going for! Can't you see I'm trying to add the 'sexy' to it?"

Scowling, I shook my head.

"Bella, the shirt is covering most of you, anyways! And no one else is here, not even _Edward_. No one but us will see you in them!"

"No."

Her lip started to quiver. Uh oh.

"Please, please, please, please, _please Bella._" She bounced as she begged, holding them out still. Her face was in that pouting position, and I realized – once again – that there really was no point in arguing with her. I always ended up giving in, anyways.

I snatched the shorts from her hands. "_Fine_."

"Oh _thank you_, Bella!" she said, hugging me tightly to her.

Hurriedly, I changed into them. Looking into the mirror again, my sweats folded over my arm, I saw that the _shirt _covered more than the shorts did. Unbelievable.

"You owe me..._so much_, Alice," I murmured angrily to her.

"Yeah, yeah," she brushed off my comment with a quick smile. "_Now _you look sexy."

"Agreed," Jessica giggled, taking the camera from Angela. "Picture time! Say cheese, Bella!"

I groaned internally as Lauren, Alice and Angela crowded around me, all wanting to get into the picture. Hiding my chagrin, I forced a smile onto my face, wondering what worse could possibly happen before the night ended.

* * *

"This is the last one," Angela said, putting the DVD in. "And then we can go to bed."

Jessica whimpered underneath the blanket she and Lauren had sheltered themselves with during the previous movie; their abandoned snacks a mess before them. "We..._really _don't have to do this, guys."

I snorted, standing to stretch after laying in the same position throughout the whole film. "I had a makeover. You're watching this movie." Well, technically, they'd be _listening_ to the movie.

"_Bella_," she and Lauren both pleaded desperately. But, they were no Alice.

"Play it, Angela," Alice ordered from where she lay on the couch, a bag of chips set on the floor near where her arm was.

Angela did as she was told, then scampered beside Alice and sat down. Simple, non-terrifying previews started, yet Jessica and Lauren still refused to resurface. _The last one must have really gotten to them_, I thought with amusement.

"Alice, popcorn?" I asked, heading to the kitchen.

"Yes, please!" Her and Angela both answered, before dissolving into laughter.

I threw a popcorn bag into the microwave and set it to the appropriate time, leaning against the counter as I waited.

This sleep over seemed to be going much better than the last one, and I was able to think of a few reasons why. First off, Carlisle and Esme weren't here to spoil me. As much as I absolutely _adored _the both of them, they coddled me much too often. There were times where I felt nearly suffocated by their constant, undying affection.

Secondly, Angela was here. Something about her presence had always been soothing. She was funny, and she listened as much as I did. There was something about her that just made the slumber party more bearable for me. I was almost as close to her as I was to Alice...almost.

And last but not least, Mr. Cullen wasn't here. Again, I still wasn't sure whether or not that was a good or bad thing...but I was able to think of a few pros. Without him here, Jessica and Lauren weren't obsessing over how they looked the whole time, nor were they prancing around in their skimpy outfits. When they were like this, their _real _selves, I actually liked them. I actually saw them as..._friends_. Also, with him gone, so was the tension. I had feared, earlier, what may have happened if I were to have come to the house and see him on the small visit. But, he _wasn't _here. So, I was safe...in a way.

The microwave beeped behind me, interrupting my thoughts and signaling the popcorns finish. I took it out, careful with the heat, and opened it.

"Bella?"

Only to have it all spilling to the floor when the smooth, all-too-familiar velvet voice cut through the silence of the kitchen.

He was standing there in the entranceway, dressed casually, leaning against the frame.

Mr. Cullen himself.

My mouth dried, and all my thoughts went blank. The only thing I was able to comprehend was that he was staring at me with an odd expression, his eyes calculating as they roamed over me. ..._oh_.

"Is that..._my _shirt?" he asked, sounding a bit dumbfounded as he finally met my gaze.

_Oh my God. What was he doing back?_

I had hoped that I would have been in the dark living room along with everyone else by the time he had returned. But no, it didn't work out that way. I was in the kitchen, caught by Mr. Cullen wearing his _clothes_. With barely anything underneath! The harshest of blushes come to my cheeks, and I look down quickly in embarrassment.

"I...I..." My face flushed a deeper red, and I shook my head. "It wasn't...my idea...Alice..."

"Alice," he repeats, making it sound like just saying that solved the whole thing.

I nodded weakly, refusing to look up.

"Bella..." he says softly, as if calling my attention. "Bella."

Oh God...my name on his lips was unbearable. But so was the situation we were in. It made me feel...young and immature, being caught like this. Dressed like this. I felt like an idiot.

It was...mortifying.

"Bella," he said again, and suddenly I could hear his footsteps coming closer, his feet crunching over the spilled popcorn. I froze, backing away until my back pressed into the counter behind me. The motion didn't seem to faze him, and he didn't stop until I was staring at his shoes.

We were too close; my body felt like it was on fire.

Very slowly, almost as if he were taking his time, he grabbed the loose collar of his shirt and covered my bare shoulder. His thumb brushed against the skin there, and I bit my lip as that familiar tension filled the kitchen.

"Bella," he murmured my name once more. "Look at me," he trailed his finger to my chin, raising it up so that I was forced to look at him. His eyes were filled with some unidentifiable emotion as he gazed down at me, and a warmth starts to spread throughout my body in reaction to it. I felt my fingers clench into the counters edge behind me. "Alice's makeovers?" he asked as he observed my face.

I nodded again, still unable to speak. I wanted to say something, explain myself more. Tell him why I had agreed to it. He _had _to know Alice was an unstoppable force once she wanted something.

He chuckled lightly, a calming sound that filled my ears, but left my heart beating in a rapid tattoo. With his free hand, he swiped at some of the eyeshadow on my lid. "In my opinion," he whispered, making me strain a bit to hear him as he studied the dark dust on his finger. "You don't need any of this, Bella. Haven't I already told you that you're beautiful?" he tugged a little at the top I wore, smiling beautifully. "I recall wearing this shirt when I said it."

Memory of that night flashed in my mind, seemingly raising the temperature of the room. That _same _tension that always seemed to be between us throughout the week heated up again. Only this time, there was nothing to stop it. We were both completely alone in the kitchen. And, to be honest, everyone in the living room were the absolute, last things on my mind.

"Edward..." I said his name breathlessly, for once not slipping up and calling him Mr. Cullen. Right now, he was Edward Cullen to me. Not my teacher, not my substitute, not my 'elder'...but something else. Something I couldn't define just yet.

He closes more of the space between us, and his arms form a cage on either side of me. He finds my hands, gripping the edge tightly, and relaxes them from their strained hold. "Yes, Bella?" he asked, looking down at me. His eyes seemed more shadowed, now; the emerald darkening.

"I...I..." I didn't even _know _what I wanted to say. It was so hard to focus or concentrate when he was standing _so close_. His presence was overwhelming me. It seemed as though him being here with me, like this, was much more different than last week. It felt more...intimate. And I found that intimacy intimidating. It was something I wasn't used to. Yet...that didn't mean I wasn't enjoying the feel of it. Of _him_. "I'm sorry I took your shirt," I managed to choke out, feeling a bit dazed.

Edward laughs softly, bringing me closer to him, and I was still too frozen to do anything but follow as he wraps an arm around my waist. I felt his breath in my tousled hair, and a shiver glides down my spine. "No need to apologize," he said, tightening his grip on me. "If I were to be honest...wearing my shirt, you look rather...tempting."

My brain nearly shut down. I scrambled for some reasonable, logical reason to why he would say something like that to _me_. Maybe he was teasing, not being serious. For all I knew, in a couple of seconds, he'd jump away and say he was kidding. That he was just testing to see how I would react under pressure. Maybe he...

I stopped, knowing I was just lying to myself. The way he was holding me against him, his hand on my hip, his face in my hair...it was truth enough.

_He wants you..._

I sucked in a startled breath, closing my eyes as the thought hits me.

_And you want him..._

Pulling back, just a little, I made myself look him in the eye. The look he gave me was challenging, as if he were telling him to just _try _and make him take back his words. The smirk on his lips revealed that he didn't regret them, either. But, there was the briefest hint of curiosity in his gaze, waiting for my reaction.

_Will you risk it?_

"Edward I..." I couldn't find any words, so I found expressing myself physically would be better. Somehow, I knew right then, that there was only _one_ way that I could relieve this building, unbearable tension between the two of us. Moving rather boldly, I placed my hand on his neck and tugged him down.

The last thing I saw was the glint of triumph and relief in his eyes, before my own fluttered shut and I closed all distance between us.

* * *

A/N: _Yes, I did in fact leave it off there...don't hate me? :) _

_and...review? :3_

_*runs off to hide*_

_**-Sapphire**  
_


	12. AN

**I AM BEYOND SORRY. **

It's been..._centuries_. And I feel HORRIBLE DX

And now for my pathetic explanation to why I have not been updating, why this _here _is not an update, and why I'm not sure of when I'll be able to update in the future. T.T

To tell you the truth, my family isn't, exactly...the _richest _family in the neighborhood. So, due to our insufficient funds, we all agreed so sacrifice...

The internet (currently, I'm typing this all up on my Godmother's computer, where we have celebrated the New Year).

But to be clear, I have not given up this story. While there may be no connection, there still _is _my laptop. And yes, I _still _am writing chapters. I just have no way(unless someone can advise a way?) of getting them up on FanFiction :(

Again...you have no idea how bad I feel D: (Actually, maybe you do...considering you're all the ones unable to read the story)

I don't know _when _we'll be getting our internet back. But, when we _do_...expect a whole lot of updates :D

**-SapphirexLovely**


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